Interpretation «The broken boot»

The presented for interpretation and stylistic analysis story «The Broken Boot» written by
The English novelist and playwright John Galsworthy who was one of the most popular
writers of the early 20th century and who worked in a novel and drama genre.

The story is about Gilbert Caister, an actor who had been “out” for six months. Playing a part
in the final act on tour, he earned four pounds a week. The extract begins with the meeting
with the old acquaintance Bryce-Green, who was a well-off client in that South Coast
convalescent camp. Green suggested come and dining with him. Caister replied he'd be
pleased. Then the author passes on to the discription of the dialogue between two men and
especially the behavior of Gilbert Caister. Green thought that the life of the actor was a
topping life and the actor confirmed that, played his role at the high-level. But in a moment,
Just six inches off the floor was Caister's shoe, which raised the question of whether or not
Caister was completely on the hog. Caister’s looked at the shoe. It was cracked right aslant
betwixt bootlace and toecap. The story ends with the actor`s thoughts about his life, a life of
draughty waiting, of concealed beggary, of terrible depressions, of want of food. But
however he didn`t lose his face and pride.

I have found the story interesting, expressive and instructive. The theme of the story is
Gilbert Caistr's life. He's a famous actor in past.

The plot consists of a series of episodes relating to the development of the central conflict of
the story. and it has a composition that runs these stages … … … , … … … , … … …

The number of characters is limited (there are only 2 main characters) but they are (not)
much revealed and developed.

The main character of the story is the actor Gibert Caister and the author gives his emotional,
visual, sound portrait and presents him as a protagonist. Also there is the second main
character whose name is Bryce-Green. The author presents him as an antagonist.

The author gives a vivid description of secondary personages who play their particular role
for the plot. Thus, first of all it`s a fishmonger. He has no words as a tailor, but with their
help the author shows us the real life of the actor and some events which were earlier in his
life. Also there is girl in the restaurant «with interested blue eyes». Her role is the focus on
the career break of the actor. There is the inner voice of the main character, which represents
us the real circumstances of his life. And two women at the end of the story, whose whisper
made feel Gilbert more confident and gave to understand that his life was worth something.

The literary trend of the text is easily traced – it is realistic as the action may happen
anywhere anytime to anyone.

The author’s presence is committal. The narration is presented in the third person.
The author’s attitude to what is described in the story is known as the tone of the story. The
tone of this narration is worried and sometimes depressing

The events described in the story are set in the streets of the town where was walking
Gilbert, and in the restaurant, where he had a dinner with Bryce-Green.

The narration is full of descriptions of surroundings which create a vivid picture of the
setting of the story.

In the story there are flashbacks, when Gilbert stopped before a fishmonger`s he thought that
ages since he had eaten a lobster. Also the moment when Bryce recalled the past and there
«Gotta-Gramous» the play where they had sport.

The story takes place in the post-World War I England.

The context is clear-cut. But it leaves some space for speculation on the social problems of
that time.

The organization of the text is as follows:

a) there are a lot of paragraphs; they are short

b) the main characteristic of the narration is long sentences. It is loaded with details which
slows the process of reading.

c) the narrations contains dialogues. In the flow of the conversation the characters use mainly
oral discourse colloquialisms, ellipses, interjections, catching words and contracted verb
forms.

The symbol of the story is the broken boot.

The title of the story expresses the main idea of the story. It may be interpreted as the real
life of the actors, not only at that time. It`s something eternal, which exists everywhere.

The message of the author he sends to the readers is that is spite of the life's circumstances
you should keep up appearances and especially it closely connected with social problems.

As a reader and a linguist I consider the story presented for the interpretation is complicated.

The atmosphere is created by means of different stylistic devices.

The style of the author reflects the Caister's state of mind. For example: Caister was
humiliated by having been out of job, by having to wear old clothes and being hungry. He
did not want to acknowledge his poverty and fought the humiliation by assuming an ironic
attitude towards himself and things happening to him. The irony is conveyed by lexical
means: the epithet "faint" and the bookish word "regard" (instead of "look at").

The metaphoric epithet "ghost" and the euphemistic metonymy "elegance" add to the
stylistic effect: Yet he received the ghost of aesthetic pleasure from the reflected elegance of
a man long fed only twice a day.... The epithet "the ghost of .. .pleasure" forms a specific
structure characterized by reversed syntactic-semantic connections (inverted epithet).
"Elegance" replaces "gauntiness" because Caister does not like to think of himself as
"gaunt".

Irony is accentuated by a mixture of styles like in the following: "/ shall be delighted." But
within him something did not drawl: "By God, you are going to have a feed, my boy!"

Also the big use of theatrical words which create a professional background: opening, on
tour, act, production, amateur, theatricals, etc. Titles of plays, such as "Educating Simon",
"Gotta-Campus ", etc., add to the stylistic effect.

Colloquial elements abound in the dialogue between Caister and Bryce-Green, like
interjections (By George, Jove, By God); colloquial words (What sport we had..., here
"sport" stands for the neutral "fun"; .. .you are going to have a feed, my boy! "feed" replaces
"meals"); elliptical sentences (Haven't seen you... Doing anything with yourself?).

The story, in my opinion, will not go out of date.