Essay, Research Paper
Concordancing in The Cop and The Anthem
A concordancer is one of the simplest but , at the same time, most powerful tools to elicit certain types of information-in a quick and effective way- from the diverse corpora available nowadays. Concordancers have been widely used in linguistics, above all in text-type studies which rely on quantitative analysis. There have been significant development in corpus linguistics during recent years. Yet linguistics is not the only field where concordancers may prove useful. Literary criticism might also be benefited from it. This paper argues for the use of concordances to literary texts. As an extremely powerful hypothesis testing device on vast amounts of data, the computer allows controlled speculation, makes hidden structures visible, enhances at the same time imagination and checks it by inductivity, thus making higher degrees of objectivity possible .Here I choose as topic the plot and characterization and writing style in a famous short story by an American writer O. Henry The Cop and The Anthem . The concordancing programs I use in this case is Wconcord and Wordsmith .
I load the text The Cop and The Anthem into Wordsmith. It provides some general statistics about the text:
Bytes13,892
Tokens2,374
Types965
Type/Token Ratio40.65
Standardised Type/Token48.85
Ave. Word Length4.54
Sentences117
Sent.length20.15
sd. Sent. Length16.66
Para. length1,187.00
sd. Para. length1,667.36
1-letter words85
2-letter words350
3-letter words563
4-letter words370
For this text the bytes is 13,892 and the tokens are2,374 and the sentences are 117,which can be interpreted as a sign for a short text. Its token/ratio is 40.65.This can be interpreted as a sign for a middle-leveled variation in vocabulary. It’s sentence length is 20.15, which means sentences in this text are long compared to some easy texts .The number of its paragraph length is 1187.00. This means the paragraphs in this text is not long in general. If we plus total numbers of 1-letter 2-letter 3-letter and 4-letter words we can know the words less than 4 letters are 1368 together. But the tokens in the text is 2374. Thus 43 per cent of the words are more than 4-letter words. Therefore we may predict this text is middle-sized in difficulty. We are thus confronted with a short text middle-sized in difficulty.
Then I load this text into Wconcord. The frequency list in Wconcord yields some interesting material . The following is the 244 most frequent words(Other following words just appear once.). This helps us form an idea about what the story is about.
Word frequency F%
The |168| 7.179|
And |93| 3.974|
A |72| 3.077|
Of |67| 2.863|
His |57| 2.436|
To |56| 2.393|
Soapy |48| 2.051|
He |43| 1.838|
In |40| 1.709|
S |22| 0.940|
Was |22| 0.940|
That |21| 0.897|
Would |21| 0.897|
Him |20| 0.855|
At |19| 0.812|
On |18| 0.769|
With |18| 0.769|
Had |17| 0.726|
Policeman |17|
It |15| 0.641|
For |14| 0.598|
You |13| 0.556|
As |12| 0.513|
Be |12| 0.513|
An |11| 0.470|
Said |11| 0.470|
But |10| 0.427|
Emdash |9| 0.385|
Umbrella |9| 0.385|
I |8| 0.342|
Island |8| 0.342|
One |8| 0.342|
By |7| 0.299|
Into |7| 0.299|
Man |7| 0.299|
No |7| 0.299|
Not |7| 0.299|
Seemed |7| 0.299|
Set |7| 0.299|
Young |7| 0.299|
Against |6| 0.256|
Bench |6| 0.256|
Cop 6| 0.256|
Himself |6| 0.256|
Is |6| 0.256|
Made |6| 0.256|
Out |6| 0.256|
Page |6| 0.256|
There |6| 0.256|
This |6| 0.256|
Upon |6| 0.256|
Were |6| 0.256|
When |6| 0.256|
Where |6| 0.256|
Woman |6| 0.256|
About |5| 0.214|
Call |5| 0.214|
Cigar |5| 0.214|
Corner |5| 0.214|
Don |5| 0.214|
From |5| 0.214|
Hands |5| 0.214|
If |5| 0.214|
Its |5| 0.214|
Mind |5| .214|
Moved |5| 0.214|
Restaurant |5| 0.214|
Square |5| 0.214|
Street |5| 0.214|
T |5| 0.214|
Two |5| 0.214|
Winter |5| 0.214|
Without |5| 0.214|
Again |4| 0.171|
Are |4| 0.171|
Away |4| 0.171|
Coat |4| 0.171|
Come |4| 0.171|
O |4| 0.171|
Hand |4| 0.171|
Have |4| 0.171|
Little |4| 0.171|
Ready |4| 0.171|
Word Frequency F%
So |4| 0.171|
Their |4| 0.171|
Them |4| 0.171|
Then |4| 0.171|
Three |4| 0.171|
Through |4| 0.171|
Time |4| 0.171|
Turned |4| 0.171|
Up |4| 0.171|
Waiter |4| 0.171|
Well |4| 0.171|
Who |4| 0.171|
Window |4| 0.171|
Ambitions |3| 0.128|
Anthem |3| 0.128|
Been |3| 0.128|
Before |3| 0.128|
Broadway |3| 0.128|
Came |3| 0.128|
Caught |3| 0.128|
Table |3| 0.128|
They |3| 0.128|
Thought |3| 0.128|
Took |3| 0.128|
Uneasily |3| 0.128|
Walked |3| 0.128|
What |3| 0.128|
Which |3| 0.128|
Why |3| 0.128|
Above |2| 0.085|
Across |2| 0.085|
Along |2| 0.085|
Annual |2| 0.085|
Arm |2| 0.085|
Around |2| 0.085|
Arrest |2| 0.085|
Avenue |2| 0.085|
Bed |2| 0.085|
Blocks |2| 0.085|
Caf? |2| 0.085|
Church |2| 0.085|
Club |2| 0.085|
Coats |2| 0.085|
Word Frequency F%
Coin |2| 0.085|
Coming |2| 0.085|
Course |2| 0.085|
Days |2| 0.085|
Dead |2| 0.085|
District |2| 0.085|
Door |2| 0.085|
Doubt |2| 0.085|
Entering |2| 0.085|
Even |2| 0.085|
Face |2| 0.085|
Fact |2| 0.085|
Fate |2| 0.085|
Feel |2| 0.085|
Fell |2| 0.085|
Fence |2| 0.085|
Find |2| 0.085|
Followed |2| 0.085|
Four |2| 0.085|
Front |2| 0.085|
Gentleman |2| 0.085|
Go |2| 0.085|
Halted |2| 0.085|
Hat |2| 0.085|
Heart |2| 0.085|
Here |2| 0.085|
High |2| 0.085|
Hope |2| 0.085|
Jack |2| 0.085|
Joint |2| 0.085|
Kind |2| 0.085|
Know |2| 0.085|
Lady |2| 0.085|
Lap |2| 0.085|
Large |2| 0.085|
Left |2| 0.085|
Life |2| 0.085|
Like |2| 0.085|
Looked |2| 0.085|
Magistrate |2| 0.085|
Make |2| 0.085|
Mallard |2| 0.085|
Masher |2| 0.085
May |2| 0.085|
Missionary |2| 0.085|
Modest |2| 0.085|
More |2| 0.085|
Mugs |2| 0.085|
My |2| 0.085|
Near |2| 0.085|
Next |2| 0.085|
Night |2| 0.085|
Officer |2| 0.085|
Once |2| 0.085|
Organist |2| 0.085|
Park |2| 0.085|
Philanthropy |2| 0.085|
Place |2| 0.085|
Presented |2| 0.085|
Private |2| 0.085|
Quarters |2| 0.085|
Route |2| 0.085|
Running |2| 0.085|
Sabbath |2| 0.085|
Shaving |2| 0.085|
Shoes |2| 0.085|
Show |2| 0.085|
Sidewalk |2| 0.085|
Smiled |2| 0.085|
Soul |2| 0.085|
Spirit |2| 0.085|
Steps |2| 0.085|
Still |2| 0.085|
Store |2| 0.085|
Streets |2| 0.085|
Sure |2| 0.085|
Sweet |2| 0.085|
Taken |2| 0.085|
Thin |2| 0.085|
Things |2| 0.085|
Together |2| 0.085|
Toward |2| 0.085|
Trousers |2| 0.085|
Voice |2| 0.085|
Watching |2| 0.085|
Ways |2| 0.085|
Wind |2| 0.085|
Women |2| 0.085|
Yet |2| 0.085|
Your |2| 0.085|
From this evidence it can be concluded that the story ever happened on the park、 island、 corner、 restaurant、、street、 Broadway 、Madison Square、 caf?、 church、 club ,etc. in winter. It’s about a person named Soapy who had something to do with a policeman、 a woman 、a waiter、 a man and an officer.
This is the moment to move on to concordance. A concordance of Soapy and he will yield some actions performed by Soapy and thus the main plot of this short story can be manifested clearly ( selected lines only).
.
On his bench in Madison Square, | Soapy | moved uneasily.
kind to their husbands, and when | Soapy | moves uneasily on his bench
and the Riviera each winter, so | Soapy | had made his humble arrangements for his
| Soapy | left his bench and strolled
But as | Soapy | set foot in side the restaurant door the
| Soapy | turned off Broadway.
| Soapy | took a cobblestone and dashed it through
| Soapy | stood still, with his hands in his pocket | Soapy | , with disgust in his heart, loafed alone
Into this place | Soapy | took his accusive shoes and tellta
Five blocks | Soapy | travelled before his courage permitted tight little isle | Soapy | straightened the lady missionary’s ready
” With half an eye | Soapy | saw that the policeman was watching him | Soapy | followed, boldly stepping to her side
inging ivy to his oak | Soapy | walked past the policeman overcome with
” On the sidewalk | Soapy | began to yell drunken gibberish at the Disconsolate, | Soapy | ceased his unavailing racket.
| Soapy | stepped inside, secured the umbrella and
| Soapy | walked eastward through a street damaged
At length | Soapy | reached one of the avenues to the east
unusually quiet corner | Soapy | came to a standstill.
anthem that the organist played cemented | Soapy | to the iron fence,
He would– | Soapy | felt a hand laid on his arm.
At the corners of four streets | he | hands his pasteboard to the North
And | therefore | he | moved uneasily on his bench. H failed to repulse the cold as | he | slept on his bench near the spurring
and eleemosynary, on which | he | might set out and receive
Up Broadway | he | turned, and halted at a glittering caf
With drawn club | he | joined in the pursuit.
At a table | he | sat and consumed beefsteak, flapjacks,
And then to the waiter | he | betrayed the fact that the minutes
| He | arose joint by joint, as a carpenter’s
Already be imagined | he | could feel tile cozy warmth of the sta
At the next corner | he | shook off his companion and ran.
| He | halted in the district where by nigh panic upon it’ and when | he | came upon another policeman lounging g
transplendent theatre | he | caught | at the immediate straw of “diso
| He | danced, howled, raved, and otherwise
|He | buttoned his thin coat against the chi
In a cigar store | he | saw a well-dressed man ]lighting a cig
| He | hurled the umbrella wrathfully into an
| He | muttered against the men who wear hel
| He | set his face down this toward Madison
| He | viewed with swift horror the pit into
the pit into which | he | had tumbled, the degraded days, unwort
| He | looked quickly around into the broad f
From the collocations of Soapy and he we can know the main plot of the story: (1)Soapy moved uneasily on his bench in winter. He might set out to look for his lodgings. Then he made his arrangement. (2) Soapy slipped out of the park and halted at a caf? upon Broadway. But he turned off Broadway. (3) Soapy took a cobblestone and dashed a window . Then he stood still . (4) Soapy loafed alone with disgust in his mind. After that he sat and consumed beefsteak and flapjacks at a table. But to the waiter he betrayed something and it seemed he was beaten. (5) Soapy traveled again. When Soapy saw the policeman was watching him he followed a woman. But Soapy walked past the policeman safely. At the next corner he shook off his companion and ran away. (6) On the sidewalk Soapy began to yell drunken gibberish. He danced , howled, raved. Yet he ceased his unavailing racket disconsolately. So he buttoned his thin coat. (7) In a cigar store he saw a well-dressed man Soapy stepped inside and secured an umbrella. But he hurled the umbrella wrathfully . (8) Soapy walked eastward through a street .At length Soapy reached one of the avenues to the east. He set his face down this toward Madison Square. But on an unusually quiet corner Soapy came to a standstill. And the anthem that the organist played cemented Soapy to the iron fence, for he had known it well. He viewed with swift horror the pit into which he had tumbled, the degraded days, unworthy desires. (9) Soapy felt a hand laid on his arm. He looked quickly around .
From the concordance of the hero Soapy we have received the information of complete plots of this story. From it we are also clear the literary structure of O. Henry’ short stories: firstly, opening; secondly, initiation of the intrigue; thirdly, love; fourthly, mystery and denouement. In this story the first plot is the opening of the story—-Soapy might set out to find a lodgings (being a guest of the law) for winter . From the second plot to the seventh plot are initiations of the intrigue—-Soapy did various bad things in order to enter the prison: he ever set foot inside a caf? for a free meal but he failed; he ever dashed a stone into a glass but the policeman refused to accept Soapy as a clue; then Soapy successfully had a big meal in a restaurant yet he was just beaten instead of being sent to prison ; he ever lured a woman in order to be captured by the policeman but the woman was a prostitute and he failed to be captured by the policeman again; then Soapy began to yell drunken gibberish ,however, the policeman disregarded him as a Yale student and pardoned him; in a cigar store he took a man’ umbrella in public yet that man was not the true owner of it, too ,thus Soapy failed again. The eighth plot is the love——-Soapy was moved by the anthem from the church, he decided to be a new man. The last plot is the mystery and denouement—– Soapy was captured by a policeman and he was tried for three months on the Island. It’s also the climax of the whole story. When Soapy did various evil things in order to be put into prison the policeman ignored. Yet when Soapy was greatly moved by the anthem and determined to start a new life a policeman captured him for being idleness. He was tried for three months in prison. From these simple plots containing in the concordance of the hero readers can sense the strong sarcastic atmosphere . The prison became a good place while the hell turned to be a heaven. Evil conducts were given lenient treatment while the good and honest were panelized. Such were the so-called democracy freedom and happiness. Why there can be such things? From the concordance of the policeman we may get the answer.
be handed over quietly and without uproar to |policeman |.
came running around the corner, a | policeman | in the lead.
The | policeman | ’s mind refused to accept Soapy even as a clue.
The | policeman | saw a man halfway down the block running to
A | policeman | who stood before a drug store two doors away l
the window a large | policeman | of severe demeanor leaned against a water plug.
Soapy saw that the | policeman | was watching him fixedly.
The | policeman | was still looking.
Soapy walked past the | policeman | overcome with gloom.
another | policeman | lounging grandly in front of a theatre he
The | policeman | twirled his club, turned his back to Soapy
Would never a | policeman | lay hands on him?
“Well, why don’t you call a | policeman | ?
The | policeman | looked at the two curiously.
The | policeman | hurried to assist a tall blonde in an
He looked quickly around into the broad face of a | policeman | .
“Then come along,” said the | policeman | .
This concordance shows the policeman seemed to be not only neglect of duty but also a full fool. He turned a blind eye to the real troublemaker . Though he lounged everywhere he was still pretentious with severe and gland demeanor. And he was not hesitating to capture an innocent person. From the image of this policeman readers can see through the essence of the policeman who is said to maintain the civilization of the society as well as the essence of the so-called democracy in the capitalist society.
In the above concordance concerning Soapy and the policeman O. Henry reveals the plots and the characters’ actions clearly and vividly. Readers can comprehend the excellent descriptions of the plots. Nevertheless, from the concordance we can see the characters are invented vividly and fully as well. O. Henry portrays not only these characters’ behavior and actions but also their internal mind and their speaking manner. Here is the concordance of Soapy’ way of speaking.
| said | Soapy, not without sarcasm, but friendly
stepping to her side, raised his hat and | said | : “Ah there, Bedelia!
“My umbrella,” he | said | , sternly.
I hope you’ll — “Of course it’s mine,” | said | Soapy, viciously.
“Nothin’,” | said | Soapy.
In this concordance from Soapy’ speaking manner readers can sense his state of mind explicitly. He was so eager to be put into prison. Yet it seemed to be a dream far away. Therefore Soapy was quite peeved. Thus he may speak sternly or viciously or not without sarcasm but friendly.
When Soapy determined to start a new life the change in his mind is shown in the concordance: