scholarly journals The role of title and epigraph in the essay “The Vision of Mirza” by Joseph Addison

Author(s):  
Iurievna Makarova Liudmila

The object of this research is the essay “The Vision of Mirza” by Joseph Addison. The relevance of studying J. Addison's essay is substantiated by undue attention to his works in the Russian literary studies, as well as the need for tracing the dynamics in the genre of vision in the Age of Enlightenment. The subject of this research is the title and epigraph as parts of the work that determine its structure and artistic distinctness. Analysis is conducted on the images of the viewer, visionary hero, and his guide, chronotope of the essay and allusive links. The essay is based on the combination of systemic-structural, comparative-historical, and hermeneutic methods. The novelty consists in the fact that the comprehensive examination of the role of the title ensemble within the structure of the essay allows reconstructing the link of the essay with the traditions of the medieval genre of vision manifested in the traditional topic and consistent motifs, imagery system, space and time arrangement, and dialogical structure of the text. The author provides interpretation to the allusive links between J. Addison's essay and Greco-Roman mythology, epic poem “The Aeneid” by Virgil, and psalms from the New Testament, and “The Voyage of St. Brendan”. It is established that the dialogue set by the epigraph passes through the entire plotline of the essay and reveal the characters of its participants. The extensively presented Christian theme alongside the images from ancient mythology and Virgil’s texts are essential for the author to express the enlightening program.

Author(s):  
Fera Seferova

The study of interrelation between folklore and literature is one of the most relevant trends in literary studies. Folk poetic symbols as the genetic memory of the nation infiltrate consciousness not only as artistic material, but also as a emotions that awaken the writer’s imagination, giving rise to various associations. The subject of this research is the creative activity of folklore is in the works of the Crimean Tatar children's writers. Examination of the folklore-mythological context, determination of the peculiarities of transformation of folklore motifs in a literary reveals the creative laboratory, allowing determining the specificities of personal reflection of the writer, as well as tracing the psychological patterns of the creative process, and the evolution of artistic thinking overall. The scientific novelty is defined by the absence within Russian literary studies of monographic and significant critical works on determination of the folklore-mythological context, transformation, functionality, and interpretation of folklore elements in works of the writers. The conclusion is made that folklore as part of the culture of a particular nation, is an organic element of the artistic world of the Crimean Tatar writers, such as E. Amit and T. Khalilov. The novel by E. Amit presents the new comprehension of myths, paroemias, and legends. An example of interaction of the mythological views and modern perspective in the novel “Last Chance” is the folk legend on the “happy and unhappy stars”. It also encompasses such ancient forms of folklore as cursing and benevolence, as well as the elements that take roots in the ancient taboos, the period of totemism. In the psychological prose by T. Khalilov, an important role is played by the symbolism of birds and plants. The ancient legend of the winged horse Duldul organically intertwines with the author's creative idea without losing its specificity.


Author(s):  
Irina Liubivaia

The subject of this research is the memoir heritage of Tatiana Lvovna Shchepkina-Kupernik. The novelty is defined by the absence of works dedicated specifically to the theatrical memoirs of Tatiana Lvovna Shchepkina-Kupernik. This article examines her memoiristics as part of the history of Russian theater, which allows the researchers to determine the author's contribution to the Russian theater studies. The goal of this consists in drawing attention of the audience and researchers to the memoiristics of Tatiana Lvovna Shchepkina-Kupernik, as well as in describing the role of her theatrical memoirs within the Russian literary studies and the history of Russian theater. Analysis is conducted on the key peculiarities of the memoir heritage of T. L. Shchepkina-Kupernik: stylistic uniqueness, attention to details of the theatrical culture, mastery of sculptural portraits. The author also reveals fascinating rare facts about the prominent figures of art and theatrical events of the late XIX – early XX centuries. The conclusion is made that the memoirs of T. L. Shchepkina-Kupernik represent a rich source on the history of Russian theatre. The details of theatrical culture, in-depth analysis of acting, portraits of the outstanding figures of Russian and foreign culture – all these facts makes her memoir heritage an invaluable material that contributes to the study of the Russian theatrical art.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 424-433
Author(s):  
Polina V. Romenskikh ◽  
Vladimir A. Meskin

The purpose of the article is to answer the question: why did the uncompromising condemnation of the traitor disciple become a thing of the past, and why did writers begin to understand and then justify the actions of Judas in their own manner in the second half of the 19th century? To solve the problems, caused by this goal, the authors refer to the ideas of philosophers of the new time, who significantly influenced the worldview of artists of the word, especially G. Hegel, A. Schopenhauer, S. Kierkegaard, and in more detail - F. Nietzsche. Special attention was paid to the writers, who lived at the end of the new time and at the beginning of the modern time and who created the most striking works on this biblical theme. The philosophy and poetics of the Swede - T. Gedberg and the Russian - L. Andreev are analyzed in detail. This is the first such a detailed appeal to the famous Swede in a detailed comparison of his story about Judas with Andreevs story about this character from the New Testament in Russian literary studies. It is proved that both writers reacted to the crisis of consciousness that was revealed at that time and that Nietzsche had the strongest attention on both prose writers, while in Andreevs case Judas appears as a type of the superman.


Verbum Vitae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 725-748
Author(s):  
Marcin Tomasz Chrostowski

The Fourth Book of Maccabees (4 Macc) in the description of Eleazar's prayer, before he suffered a martyr’s death  (6:29) as well as the martyrdom of seven brothers and their mother who suffered for the nation (17:21), the term ἀντίψυχος  (which means “given in exchange for life”) is used twice. This adjective appears only twice in the Septuagint (LXX), to be precise, in 4 Macc The context of both passages suggests a broader meaning of the term, translated with reference to a sacrifice of life having a propitiatory, expiatory, vicarious and voluntary character, and even atonement for the sins of the Jewish people. In this article, the subject of expiatory martyrdom in 4 Macc will be taken in the context of the biblical, apocryphal and other ancient texts, with reference to the flow of ideas and terminology of Greco-Roman religion, poetry and philosophy. In addition, possible translations of the term ἀντίψυχος will be analyzed, included in the broader context of Greek and other terminologies, so as to show possible connections between the idea of ​​expiatory martyrdom and the ideas described in the New Testament.


Author(s):  
Iryna Rusnak

The author of the article analyses the problem of the female emancipation in the little-known feuilleton “Amazonia: A Very Inept Story” (1924) by Mykola Chirsky. The author determines the genre affiliation of the work and examines its compositional structure. Three parts are distinguished in the architectonics of associative feuilleton: associative conception; deployment of a “small” topic; conclusion. The author of the article clarifies the role of intertextual elements and the method of constantly switching the tone from serious to comic to reveal the thematic direction of the work. Mykola Chirsky’s interest in the problem of female emancipation is corresponded to the general mood of the era. The subject of ridicule in provocative feuilleton is the woman’s radical metamorphoses, since repulsive manifestations of emancipation becomes commonplace. At the same time, the writer shows respect for the woman, appreciates her femininity, internal and external beauty, personality. He associates the positive in women with the functions of a faithful wife, a caring mother, and a skilled housewife. In feuilleton, the writer does not bypass the problem of the modern man role in a family, but analyses the value and moral and ethical guidelines of his character. The husband’s bad habits receive a caricatured interpretation in the strange behaviour of relatives. On the one hand, the writer does not perceive the extremes brought by female emancipation, and on the other, he mercilessly criticises the male “virtues” of contemporaries far from the standard. The artistic heritage of Mykola Chirsky remains little studied. The urgent task of modern literary studies is the introduction of Mykola Chirsky’s unknown works into the scientific circulation and their thorough scientific understanding.


2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-252
Author(s):  
James R. Edwards

This study surveys the numerous and diverse powers and authorities to which the gospel is addressed in Luke-Acts, including major Jewish institutions and officials, Herodian rulers, Roman military officers, Greco-Roman officials, diverse officials, and pagan cults and supernatural powers. Well over half the references to authorities in Luke-Acts occur nowhere else in the New Testament. The frequent and diverse references to powers defend Christianity in a preliminary and obvious way from charges of political sedition. In a broader and more important way, however, they redefine power itself according to the standard of the gospel.


Author(s):  
William Loader

After a brief overview of the social context and role of marriage and sexuality in Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures, the chapter traces the impact of the Genesis creation narratives, positively and negatively, on how marriage and sexuality were seen both in the present and in depictions of hope for the future. Discussion of pre-marital sex, incest, intermarriage, polygyny, divorce, adultery, and passions follows. It then turns to Jesus’ reported response to divorce, arguing that the prohibition sayings should be read as assuming that sexual intercourse both effects permanent union and severs previous unions, thus making divorce after adultery mandatory, the common understanding and legal requirement in both Jewish and Greco-Roman society of the time. It concludes by noting both the positive appreciation of sex and marriage, grounded in belief that they are God’s creation, and the many dire warnings against sexual wrongdoing, including adulterous attitudes and uncontrolled passions.


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