Linguistic and Cognitive Characteristics of the Composition of the Text of J.K. Rowling's English Tales - Vol. 6 No. 5 - Research article

Oct 15, 2026

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This article examines the linguistic and cognitive characteristics that shape the composition of J.K. Rowling’s English postmodern tales. Text composition is treated as linguistic and cognitive construal integrating compositional plot structure, compositional meaning structure, and the linguistic-stylistic means that actualize them. Compositional plot blocks are analyzed as configurations of textual situations, with coherence and cohesion explained through composition devices. Compositional meaning structure is derived through reconstruction of conceptual metaphoric and metonymic schemas, anchored in the megametaphor LIFE IS THE CHOICE OF A PATH, developed via narration types and stylistic tools.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Linguistic and cognitive approach to text composition

Historical and theoretical background (poetics and cognitive linguistics)

Text composition as knowledge structuring and conceptual space

Advances in Language and Literary Studies ISSN: 2203-4714 Vol. 6 No. 5; October 2015 Australian International Academic Centre, Australia Linguistic and Cognitive Characteristics of the Composition of the Text of J.K. Rowling's English Tales Elena Solodova Sevastopol State University, Ukraine E-mail: [lencha_igor@rambler.ru](lencha_igor@rambler.ru) Doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.5p.151 URL: [http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.5p.151](http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.5p.151) Received: 17/05/2015 Accepted: 29/07/2015 Abstract This article focuses on linguistic and cognitive characteristics inherent in the composition of the English postmodern tales written by J.K. Rowling. The composition of the text is viewed as linguistic and cognitive construal that integrates compositional plot structure, compositional meaning structure, linguistic and stylistic means of their actualization in the text. The content of the text is organized as a specific configuration of compositional plot blocks reflecting similar topics of textual situations. The coherence and cohesion of compositional plot blocks are provided by the compositional devices which perform text building and text forming functions. Compositional meaning structure is revealed via reconstruction of the conceptual metaphoric and metonymic schemas embodied in compositional plot blocks. The key meaning is represented by the megametaphor LIFE IS THE CHOICE OF A PATH, which in the text unfolds into a number of conceptual metaphors and metonymies. The peculiarities of representation of compositional plot structure and compositional meaning structure are explained through the analysis of corresponding linguistic and stylistic means and types of narration. Keywords: Composition, Linguo-cognitive construal, Compositional plot structure, Compositional meaning structure, Compositional plot blocks, Conceptual megametaphor 1. Introduction In this article linguistic and cognitive peculiarities of composition of the English modern author's tales exemplified in J.K. Rowling's books are analysed. Linguistic and cognitive approach to the present research gives way to elicit the nature of the relations between the content, meaning of the text of the tales and its verbal realization. Linguistic and cognitive research of the composition of the artistic text originated in the depth of historical, structural and semantic poetics long before the scientific legalization of cognitive linguistics as a paradigm of knowledge. However, the study of composition within the linguistic and cognitive aspect proposes to use not only achievements of the previous scientific paradigm but also the development of a new one, in particular, the division of the composition into outer and inner one. Within the linguistic and cognitive approach to the study of composition the focus of attention is shifted to the revealing and analysis of the cognitive mechanisms of structuring the knowledge of the world, the impulse for the activation of which is the number of the linguistic forms, conceptualized on the verbal layer of the composition of the text (Rastorgueva, 2005) . Progressive enough for its time the understanding of the composition of the artistic text as the construal of conscience belongs to Propp: “The composition does not really exist so as there are no general notions in the material world: they exist only in the conscience of a man. But it is general notions that help us to perceive the world, reveal its laws and learn to govern them”(Propp, 1969) . Compare: “The ground of the compositional plot structure of the text is the mental model since it represents its reference (Tomashevsky, 1959) . The background to the linguistic and cognitive approach to the composition is traced in the works of Lotman, who proposed that between live situations and “lyrical situations” there is a coding system, which explains the way the phenomena of the world of reality are reflected in th

FAQs

What is the main focus of the article?

The article focuses on linguistic and cognitive characteristics inherent in the composition of J.K. Rowling’s English postmodern tales.

How does the article interpret the composition of the text?

It treats composition as linguistic and cognitive construal integrating compositional plot structure, compositional meaning structure, and the linguistic-stylistic means that actualize them.

How is compositional meaning structure revealed?

Compositional meaning structure is revealed through reconstruction of conceptual metaphoric and metonymic schemas embodied in compositional plot blocks.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Terk