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1. Investigating Structure 59
3. We should seek confirmatory evidence of some sort, including
the purpose and/or effect of the supposed structure.
4. Superimposed structures should not be posited unless there is
strong independent evidence for this intention.
Conclusions
In considering the work done by scholars on literary structures, my
purpose has been to throw light on the question: how can we discern
the structure, if any, intended by the author or editor of the text in
question?
We have examined several examples of work done in this area,
including independent work on the same text by different scholars. In
the latter case we have been concerned to ask why the analyses differ,
and whether the differences are significant or whether they point to
basically the same insights. If our aim is to discern the author/editor's
intention then the results obtained by different investigators ought to
agree in essence.
It seems to me that the same basic conclusions have been forced
upon us throughout this present chapter. They may be summarized as
follows:
1. Repetitions of the same word or root may be used by a writer to
indicate a correspondence between one part of a unit and another. But:
a. There may be other reasons for repetition.
b. Very common words have little significance in this regard.
c. We should not, without good reason, accept some words as
significant, while ignoring others.
d. It should be possible to suggest the reason for a writer's
arrangement.
e. Alternative theories need to be considered.
2. A writer might well have had in mind connections between one
part and another, progressions of thought, similar type of content, and
so forth, which are not reflected in the use of identical words or roots.
We may indeed acknowledge that thematic connections such as the
above are more important than merely identical words. Yet it would
be strange for a writer to avoid using certain words more than once,
if he wanted to draw the reader's attention to the correspondence.
There is certainly scope for further research in this area, but at