SYSTEMATIC ORGANIZATION OF LEXIS IN J. C. OATES’ NOVELS “BLACK WATER” AND “WE WERE THE MULVANEYS” (FRAMES THEORY OF M. MINSKII AND CH. FILLMORE) (ID:158932)

II.1.2. Organization of Basic Frames in the Novel “Black Water” The analysis of linguistic data may require specific definitions for different levels of conceptual organization. The definitions suggested in this study are: the conceptual sphere – the total information space; a domain – an information focus within the conceptual sphere; a parcel – a domain’s information focus manifested with synonyms and antonyms; and a concept – a parcel’s constituent notion manifested with an individual word. Providing the analysis such divisions as a hyper-sphere/sub-sphere; a hyper-domain/sub-domain; and a hyper-parcel/sub-parcel should be introduced. The conceptual spaces that exist at different levels of conceptual hierarchy evolve in-depth, providing gradual granulation of information. The hierarchical conceptual levels become the dimensions of the total information space [23; 54]. It is maintained that at each level of their hierarchy conceptual spaces are structured with a network. This tenet agrees with the observation, according to which the total scope of linguistic and neurophysiologic facts clearly demonstrates that the linguistic structure in the human mind is a network, a system where information is represented in relations between concepts [28; 183]. In a network information is concentrated in vertices (nodes, slots) and edges (arcs) that link these vertices. Vertices are ‘intelligent’: each vertex represents information about some entity and its place in the network. The relations between vertices in a network are manifested with propositions [19; 121]. The network or web is also a key idea in the theory of life systems. As F. Capra says, the web of life consists of webs within webs. We try to build the systems of webs integrated into other webs via applying a hierarchy, where the larger webs, located above the smaller ones, resemble a pyramid. However, it is only our human construal. The nature has no ‘above’ and ‘below’ entities, it has no hierarchies. There are only webs inside the other webs [24; 50]. It is argued that building the networks at any conceptual level employs a universal tool – the limited set of propositions that belong to the five basic frames.