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Analysis of Antithetical Elements in English Literary Passages Using Stochastic Models

Authors:
Chenjie Zeng
Clement Leung

Keywords: stochastic alternating renewal process; antithesis; literary passages; thesis; renewal function.

Abstract:
Thesis and antithesis are rhetorical figures often employed by well-known authors in English literary passages. Antithesis refers to the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas, which often, although not always, in parallel structure. Such rhetorical figure is used to contrast opposing ideas, creating a sense of tension and urgency, as well as heightening the emotional impact of the speech. Contrasting the antithesis is the thesis, which refers to a statement, assertion, or tenet. A thesis also is a proposition laid down or stated, especially as a theme to be discussed and proved, or to be maintained against attack. It is observed that the points of occurrence of thesis and antithesis are random, yet they occur with remarkable regularity alternating each other. In this study, we represent the lengths of thesis and antithesis by using an alternating renewal stochastic process. We find that the underlying parameters of the alternating renewal process are able to usefully characterize the writing style of individual authors and help us to quantify and understand their linguistic technique and intention. Using the present method in conjunction with other techniques, such as sentiment analysis, and word embedding models, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of the literature and its underlying themes and structures.

Pages: 31 to 38

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2023

Publication date: September 25, 2023

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4464

ISBN: 978-1-68558-111-4

Location: Porto, Portugal

Dates: from September 25, 2023 to September 29, 2023