The stylistics of Josef Škvorecky’s novel “Příběh inženýra lidských duší”

1.

The stylistics of Josef Škvorecky’s
novel “Příběh inženýra lidských
duší” (“The Story of the Engineer
of Human Souls”)
Davydova A
MA of Philology, SPBU
20.01.2024

2.

Novelty of the research
This study is devoted to a broad analysis of the author's
spelling, punctuation and style, which allows us to
highlight the uniqueness of his method of narration,
which has not yet been done in the Russian-speaking
scientific circles.

3.

Object and subject of the study
Object: Czech novel by Josef Škvorecky "Příběh
inženýra lidských duší".
Subject: The author's style and language presented in
the text of the novel.

4.

Purpose of the study
To study and analyze the entire novel and write down
not only the foreign language inserts encountered, but
also to highlight and give examples of specific
language, style, syntactic structures, and vocabulary
used in the novel under study. Thus, both the features
of the author’s style and language of Josef Škvorecky,
as well as the relevance and correctness of the use of
foreign language inserts to maintain it, are studied.

5.

Research objectives
In accordance with the purpose of the study, the following research objectives
were set:
- to study the novel in detail;
- to write down all the foreign language inserts encountered;
- to identify the most frequently used foreign language inserts;
- to determine the role of foreign language inserts in the author’s style;
- to determine the prevailing style of speech: colloquial or artistic;
- to conduct a syntactic analysis of the text to identify author’s constructions;
- to establish the features of the author's style.

6.

Methodology
The mentioned research objectives require the following
methods to be used: the method of continuous sampling
of material, the comparative method, and the statistical
method.

7.

Research material
Czech novel by
Josef Škvorecky "Příběh inženýra lidských duší".

8.

Practical features of the research
The results of the study can be used as a basis for
preparing university courses, lectures and seminars on
the stylistics of the Czech language.

9.

Theoretical features of the
research
The results of this work can be used not only in further
studies of the author’s style in his novels, but also in
studies of specific stylistic features of any writer in
general.

10.

Results
When studying the author's style of the novel, it was possible to reveal that the
syntax, spelling and punctuation of only one character (Loiza) contained a lot
of mistakes. This was done in order to show how less literate and educated
this person is in comparison with Danny’s other friends and acquaintances
from his homeland.
Loiza, a simple-minded and not very literate character, appears through
his letters, which are distinguished not only by the abundance of errors, but
also by their specific style. His use of Slovakisms, lack of punctuation, and
spelling errors become an integral part of his image. This technique is
emphasized by the attention to detail, such as the frequent repetitions of the
same thoughts and explanations that Loiza inserts into his letters.

11.

Results
Considerable attention is paid to the evolution of Loiza's language from the
beginning to the end of the novel. The first letter, written in Czech, gradually
gives way to increasingly illiterate letters in Slovak. This linguistic debut and
the conclusion of the novel with Loiza's letters create a symbolic frame,
emphasizing the importance of this character for the work.
Thus, the use of structural and linguistic variety through the character of Loiza
in “The Story of the Engineer of Human Souls” gives the novel not only a
comic tone, but also serves as means of artistic expression, emphasizing the
illiteracy and simplicity of this character in the context of the more educated
and literate characters in the novel.

12.

Results
Moreover, it was possible to identify the abundant presence
of inclusions in Russian, English, German, and Latin.
Colloquial Czech is used extensively to show the contrast
between university lectures and the everyday lives of
ordinary people.
Overall, Škvorecky's author's style can be described as rich
in literary elements, emotionally powerful and full of
reflections on Czech history and identity.

13.

The end
Thank you for your attention!