Slovo 12, 2022
ARTICLES
Anisia ANGHEL
Abstract. This paper analyzes the broadening of feminist discourse from the idea of emancipation portrayed by Nikolai Leskov in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District (1865) through the lenses of intersectionality in William Oldroyd’s film Lady Macbeth (2016). Although the director and the screenwriter Alice Birch do not insist on race as a pivotal theme in their work, the portrayal of black characters in roles subordinated to their white counterparts showcases the discourse on intersectionality as an important device in contemporary feminist theory.
Keywords: intersectionality; feminism; privilege; emancipation; power dynamics; oppression; race; sexuality; class.
Margentina Iasmina BOT
Abstract. Kazuo Ishiguro’s characters from his debut novel A pale view of hills and the ones from Salman Rushdie’s anthology of short stories, East, West, form a world in which we can discover a feminine perspective on exile. Characters such as Rehana or Mary from East, West, and Etsuko, Keiko, Sachiko, and Nikki, from A pale view of hills are captives in a process in which they have to redefine their identity, which becomes uncertain from the moment they leave their homeland behind. Neither of them manages to settle in the new space, because they preserve the hope to return to Japan or India. The feminine characters in East, West, and A pale view of hills are portrayed as human beings who have an already established role in the patriarchal society they live in. Etsuko is the embodiment of the maternal side that constantly oscillates between Keiko, her Japanese daughter, who becomes the nostalgic binder of the memories which are associated with the period they spent in Nagasaki, and Nikki, her British daughter, who becomes the human symbol of the territory in which her mother lives after she emigrated from Japan. Rehana is a young girl who is searching for the balance and safety that only a marriage with a British man could offer, and Mary is a woman who chooses to move to England, for the benefit of her family, even though her heart and soul remain in India. Each of them makes sacrifices because the rules and traditions need to be respected, and this is the reason why they become invisible figures who are trapped in a space where they feel that they do not belong.
Keywords: identity; homeland; exile; femininity; nostalgy
Sergiu LOZINSCHI
Abstract. The paper analyzes, from an intercultural and comparative perspective, the way in which the theme of insanity is reflected in the two works of universal literature: The Licentiate Vidriera by Miguel de Cervantes and Diary of a Madman by N.V. Gogol. This article is meant to highlight the similarities and the distinct traits of both literary texts, with the goal of creating an updated description and way of understanding of the two. With that in mind, we have adopted the method of compared research, combined with narratology notions and put together a structural analysis of the two works. This compared study could not be realized without a reference to the socio-historical context of the two eras, which, in itself, offers a reflection material on the aspects of life, society and culture of the time periods we are referencing and brings new data of interest to the intercultural Ibero-Russian studies. Based on the analysis, we have come up with a series of observations related to the global meaning of the works, the cultural meaning of insanity in both, the specific contextualization, the view on the society in question and the elements that distinguish the two protagonists. The results of this analysis are of interest to hispanists, slavists and comparative literature researchers alike.
Keywords: Cervantes; Gogol; comparative literature; madness, alienation; parable.
Ana-Maria SANDU
Abstract. This paper examines the theme of madness in two important texts from Russian literature of the late 19th and early 20th century: The Red Flower (1883) by Vsevolod Garshin and Ghosts (1904) by Leonid Andreyev. As I demonstrate in the comparative analysis of these stories, the depiction of madness changes as Russian literature moves away from realism to modernism, and so does its significance. The essay also touches upon the implications of the social and cultural climate at the time of the stories’ appearance. In the article I am applying the concepts of deviance and norm formulated by Michel Foucault and Lucian Boia’s views on the imaginary, identity and alterity.
Keywords: madness; Vsevolod Garshin; Leonid Andreyev; deviance; norm; identity; alterity.
Mihaela MUNTEANU
Abstract. Time is regarded as a relative dimension, manipulated by one’s view. Oblomov, written by Ivan Goncharov, presents life’s cyclicity versus its linearity through two relevant characters: Oblomov and Stolz. The two, although friends, are different in terms of perspectives. Oblomov believes he has infinite time, whereas Stolz acts according to his priorities, always feeling the pressure of a life that needs to be lived in a way that matters. While Stolz strives to usefully contribute to society, Oblomov lives inside his mind and finds refuge in it. Goncharov thus illustrates two alternatives for Russia’s future. Starting from the way time is perceived by the protagonists, we understand their perspectives on life and can compare the utility of each in society.
Keywords: time; linearity; circularity; idealism; pragmatism.
Alexandra OPRIN
Abstract. In this article, I analyze some of the poems of Zinaida Hippius to demonstrate that her writing style is more decadent than symbolic. I present both the symbolic and decadent elements in order to highlight the fact that her poetry was more inclined to the decadent movement than the symbolic one.
Keywords: symbolism; decadence; poetry; art for art’s sake; human nature.
BOOK REVIEWS
Book review by Mara ȘCHIOP
Book review by Mihaela MUNTEANU