A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF SEMANTIC UNITY IN SHORT STORY ‘IT’S IN THE CARDS’

Abstract

Every text as a cohesive semantic unit represents a flow of thought and meanings which is the outcome of cohesion and coherence. Semantic connections take two forms; a connection at surface level called cohesion and a connection at more profound level takes the form of coherence (Enkvist, 1978). Being the essential features of textual unity and continuity, patterns of coherence and cohesive devices not only contribute in weaving the texture of a text but the understanding of these patterns is also significant for readability and comprehensibility of the text. Drawing on Halliday and Hassan’s model (1976) of cohesive devices, the present study aims to analyze the features of connectedness and semantic unity in a 200 words’ award-winning short story ‘It’s in the Cards’. This study highlights that how use of cohesive devices contributes towards the structural unity of a narrative text by connecting the sentences at micro level and how at macro-level, these features of connectedness add to establish the structure of meanings and thereby making the text meaningful and a coherent semantic whole.