Interpretation of literary

VI. Composition of the story. "Tribute" is written in the genre of 
a pamplet, which usually exposes and satirizes some social evil. 
Although for the sake of philosophical generalizations the author 
narrates the events in a very compressed form, we are able 10 
distinguish all the traditional parts of a classic composition: 
1) The exposition introduces the reader to the town of Braddle and 
two young admirers of a pretty girl. 
2) The beginning of the plot deals with the first twenty years after 
their marriages. 
3) The development of the plot shows that the country embarked 
upon a calamitous war. 68 
4) The climax of the story comes to the foreground thanks to the 
convergence of stylistic devices: the antonymous alliterated collocation 
"friend and foe alike", the untarnishable metaphor "drowned in blood" 
and a very rare simile as powerful as eternity". The peak of the climax 
informs the reader that Tony Vassal was killed and his widow died of 
grief. 
5 The denouement deals with the marriages of the second gene-
ration and shows a repealing cycle in the history of Braddle. 
6) The end depicts annual celebrations and Olive's demagogic 
speeches. 
7) In the epilogue the author satirizes Olive's divine position and 
noble responsibility. 
VII. The Category of Modality. When Alfred Coppard narrates the 
story he doesn't give straight-forward evaluations of his characters. His 
negative attitude to the owners of the Braddle mill is not expressed 
explicitly, but the reader feels that his attitude is not neutral. The author 
condemns the Regents' way of life and ridicules their "help" to the 
country. 
On the other hand although he never openly expresses his personal 
attitude to the workers we feel his passionate protest against their blind 
submissive gratitude to their masters, against their calling down spiritual 
blessings on the heads of their exploiters. 

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The author achieves such effect by his bitter sarcastic manner of 
writing. Let's consider several cases of sarcasm in detail. 
1. "In times like these, we must help our country still more, still 
more we must help; let us lend our money to the country". Nathan's 
wife wanted to help with mercenary motives, her patriotism is sham. 
Anadiplosis and repetition help to emphasize the same idea. 
2. touching inducement ... . The author is mocking at the tender 
manner in which they gave their improper advice. Sarcastic epithet. 
3. ... her parents' unforgotten and indeed unforgettable kindness.... 
It wasn't kindness but. a desire to enrich themselves, to get more war 
orders from the government. Gradation expresses the idea very vividly. 
4. "That was perhaps a theme unfitting to touch upon, it would 
have been boastful and quite unbecoming". The sarcastic epithets 
"unfitting", "boastful"exprcss the author's mocking attitude to Olive's 
necessity to conceal her growing wealth. It would be dangerous to 
remind of the country's tribute to Olive because it would open the 
workers' eyes to the real state of things. 
5. "... all put our shoulders to the wheel". It is known that 
capitalists don't work very hard; they hire other people to pull their 
chestnuts out of the fire. 
6. "Golden blessings", "Olive's golden head". Sarcasm is ac-
companied by polysemy: 
I. golden blessings: 1) good, beneficent, 2) gold currency. 
II. golden head: 1) fair-haired, 2) clever and smart, cute. 
7, ''divine position", "noble responsibility". Coppard means pro-
fitable position and responsibility in personal interests. 
8. "How beautiful it all is!... to the end". 
The whole paragraph expresses the author's wrathful sarcasm at the 
stability of the capitalist system. Coppard ridicules Olive's innocent 
ignorance of the economic laws of the development of society 
discovered by Karl Marx. 
The second way of expressing modality in the story is the author's -
choice of proper names for his personages. They arc so called '"speaking 
names", because they express the most prominent features of the 
characters and the author's attitude to them. 
The dictionary meaning of "vassal" is—in feudal times a person 
who held land from a superior lord in return for which he vowed to give 
service in war, a feudal tenant, one who is bound to serve another, a 

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80 
servant, a devoted attendant. The proper name Tony Vassal implies that 
since his birth he was destined to take a subordinated position. 
The dictionary meaning of the word "regent" is — a person ap-
pointed to rule during the childhood, absence or incapacity of a 
monarch. The proper name Nathan Regent implies that Nathan was 
destined to take a commanding lucrative position. 
The proper name Patience symbolizes the woman's submissive 
nature, calm endurance of pain, her fear to revolt against her hard life. 
The proper name Mercy implies compassion and kindness (used 
sarcastically). The proper name Olive is associated with an emblem of 
peace. An Olive branch, wreath show disposition for reconciliation. It 
emphasizes the idea that she managed the mill in a very cunning way, 
never had any conflicts with workers, skillfully removed reasons for 
their discontent, avoided their strikes.