SENSE STRUCTURE OF G. DELEDDA’S NOVEL OF DECADENCE “THE IVY”

The article focuses on sense field in G. Deledda’s novel of decadence “The Ivy”. The main regularities of quantization information in the novel have been established. Such regularities depend on factors that counteract the openness of information dissemination channels. It was established that the semantic field of G. Deledda’s novel of decadence “The Ivy” contains quantums of information being points of reference for its discretization. Such quantums of information are: referent-subject that determine his positive or negative evaluation being nucleus of the field; dwelling, household items (prenuclear zone); natural phenomena (peripheral zone). These quantums of information are a kind of framework; their semantic content, in particular, the semantic component of tropes, forms the unity of the semantic field. It was shown that sense-making is based on reference groups with polarized evaluation denoting the upper and lower classes of the Sardinian society of that time. The regularities of information quantization in polarized reference groups are based on the cognitive principle of salience “background vs figure”.It was established that nucleus of the semantic field is forming by referent subject belonging to upper or lower strata of society characterized by stabile evaluation (positive or negative) being usually extended to prenuclear zone and peripheral zone. Referent subject being dominant nucleus of the semantic field nominates representatives of the upper strata of society evaluated negatively (that corresponds to the author’s intention – the depiction of decline of noble families in Sardinia). The shift of the evaluative focus to the dominant nucleus of the field is due to the larger number of stylistic devices belonging to the dominant reference group. It was shown the stability of evaluation and correlation of semantic components of elements belonging to nucleus, prenuclear and peripheral zones of the semantic field. Spatial deixis can acquire evaluative meaning under the influence of the semantic field. The key stylistic device of the novel is extended antithesis being the basis of sense-making at the textual level. Extended antithesis include similes, metaphors, epithets, personifications that objectify the semantic connection between the nucleus, the prenuclear and the peripheral zone. Polarized evaluation in the semantic field of a literary text is expressed through lexical units of evaluative semantics, colour symbolism and antithesis. Two associative semantic series can be distinguished in the novel, formed by semantic components of the most commonly used stylistic devices. The first semantic associative serie is connected with the author’s intention of depicting the decline of noble families in Sardinia and contains semantic components of uncontrollability, depreciation, denial of existence. The second semantic associative serie is connected with the author’s intention of expressing the inability to resist temptations and contains semantic components of separation, isolation, compression, uncontrollability, loss of connection with reality. The most commonly used semantic components of stylistic devices are system-forming meanings, as they reflect the main regularities of the their functioning being a reflection of the author’s intention in the novel of decadence.