CLAUSE AS MESSAGE
Text 3-10 The ‘North Star’ text
3.9 Thematic interpretation of a text
The following extract illustrates theme selections in biographical text. The analysis is presented in tabular form, to make it easy to scan it and detect patterns in the text. The
[we had no way in]
[you need a cable]
[I’m still disappointed]
[have your money ready]
with all the doors being locked
for that printer to work off your machine
while not blaming them
to avoid delay structural topical
Theme Rheme
structural analysis is marked by various typographic conventions in the running text; the systemic analysis is set out to the right of the text. The systemic value of ‘unmarked’ and
‘marked’ theme depends on the mood selection, as shown in the system network in Figure 3-12 on p. 80.
Textual Interpersonal Theme theme theme selection Apart from a need to create his own identity <<having been well and truly — — marked trained and educated and, indeed, used by his father for so long, emotionally
and practically>> Robertfelt
that at twenty the last thing [[he wanted to do]] was [[to join a family firm up + — marked in Newcastle, in however important a position]].
He must have felt — — unmarked
that he was being forced into a corner. + — unmarked
This was it, for ever, a lifetime’s occupation. — — unmarked
T h e m a t i c i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f a t e x t
Fig. 3-26 Theme in elliptical clauses
said Goody Fry;
‘So will I go see it’
‘So will I’
conjunctive finite topical
Theme
said Goody Fleet;
(not elliptical)
‘I ’ll go see it’
Theme Rheme
said Goody Brown;
‘It’s down the town’
‘Down the town’
Rheme
said Goody Blair;
‘Where is it?’
‘Where?, Where?’
Rheme
cried the town crier;
‘There’s a fire!’
‘Fire, fire!’
Rheme
Textual Interpersonal Theme theme theme selection And he’d better be duly grateful for [[what his father and his father’s friends + — unmarked were doing for him]].
[[whathis father and his father’s friends were doing for him]] + — unmarked
For all his integrity and high principles,Robertpulled a slightly fast one over — — marked his father and business partners.
He did eventually get permission, <<however reluctantly it was given,>> from his — — unmarked father and partner to have leave of absence from the Newcastle locomotive works,
<<however reluctantly it was given,>> — — unmarked
telling them — — unmarked
that he’d designed a contract for only one year. + — unmarked
It was only after his departure that they discovered markedand
predicated
that in fact he’d signed on for three years. + — unmarked
It was no doubt fear [[that he’d never get away, rather than deceit]], which — + unmarked
made him mislead them. and
predicated A slight feeling of fear of his father, mixed with awe, comes through many of — — unmarked his letters.
George finally realized — — unmarked
that his son wanted to go off + — unmarked
andstretch his wings in a new country + — unmarked
and there was nothing more [[he could do about it]], no further inducements + — unmarked [[he could offer]].
As it was only for a year, + — unmarked
so he thought, + — unmarked
he might as well make the best of it, — — unmarked
Textual Interpersonal Theme theme theme selection
though it couldn’t have come at a worse time, + — unmarked
with the Darlington and Liverpool lines now both under way + — unmarked
and though he had personally been very hurt and saddened by his son’s decision. + — unmarked
In a letter [[written to Longridge]] on 7 June, eleven days before Robert’s — — marked departure,Georgesounds distinctly miserable, even bitter, <<though trying hard
to hide it,>> at the prospect [[of travelling to Liverpool in time to see Robert off]]
‘I am a little more cheerful to night — — unmarked
as I have quite come to a conclusion + — unmarked
that there is nothing for me but hard work in this world + — unmarked
therefore I may as well be cheerful as not’ + — unmarked
After he arrived in Liverpool + — unmarked
and met up with Robert — — unmarked
to bid him farewell, — — unmarked
George wrote to Longridge, this time on 15 June, — — unmarked
saying — — unmarked
what a pleasure it had been [[to see Robert again]]. — + unmarked
He describes the smart dinner parties [[that he and Robert have been to — — unmarked together]].
From Hunter Davies,George Stephenson: the remarkable life of the founder of the railways.
Feltham, Middx: Hamlyn Paperbacks. 1980, pp. 112–13.
Notational conventions: Single underlining = Theme; xxxx plain = topical Theme;xxxx bold = interpersonal Theme; xxxx italic = textual Theme; Bold without underlining = displaced Theme*; << >> = included clause boundary; [[ ]] = downranked clause boundary.
T h e m a t i c i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f a t e x t
* A displaced Theme is a topical element which would be unmarked Theme (in the ensuing clause) if the existing marked topical Theme was reworded as a dependent clause. In the first example here, if we reworded more congruently as Besides needing to create his own identity, Robert ..., then in the ensuing clause Robert becomes unmarked Theme.
Summary of thematic analysis Paragraph 1 (he= Robert)
paragraph Theme (from clause 1) his need to create identity
displaced Theme Robert
clause Themes:
bound clause [feeling] that + at twenty
free clause he
bound clause [feeling] that + he
free clause this [prospect]
free clause and + he