The prose style of O.K. Bogatsu: a statistical analysis

Abstract

The style of Bogatsu shows itself in the manner in which it differentiates itself from the normal everyday way of expressing oneself. One of the characteristics of his style shows itself in the manner in which he combines both literal and figurative manners of expression. He is able to animate inanimate objects and create vivid pictures which contribute to the aesthetic value of the text. In this article Bogatsu's style is assessed in terms of the frequency with which ideophones, idioms, proverbs, sentence openers, and so on, are used in his short stories to convey an everlasting and effective impression. It is through a statistical analysis of the two short stories, i.e., Bopodi ba kgonwa ke ba ba dinaka and Monate ga o feie, that this article truly captures the significant techniques that are used in Bogatsu's art. The repetitive nature of these techniques singles out Bogatsu as a Setswana short story writer who is able to use language to do his thing and achieve great effect in his art. Through the statistical analysis of the two short stories this article has been able to determine the frequent usages of sentence openers, idioms, proverbs, ideophones, et cetera, which in the final analysis help promote or demote the style of the writer.