Philosophy of the Female Image in the Context of Social Circumstances in Fiction

The philosophy of the image of a woman, her behaviour and functions in society have changed over time. The processes of transformation of the philosophy of the female image can be observed in fiction, which is a means of comprehending the life of previous generations. Therefore, female images help to know better the national character, national spirit, even the national idea of the philosophy of each nation. The study?s main goal is to reveal the philosophy of the female image in the context of the social circum- stances of fiction. For a better understanding of the evolution and development of the philosophy of the female image in world literature, we have formed a morphological analysis of the image of a woman in fiction and a matrix of structural elements of the image of a woman in fiction in the context of different timeframes.

The Peony Pavilion as a picture of sexual individuation

The Peony Pavilion is a story central to Chinese gender identity. It vividly portrays a story of the path of sexual individuation of a Chinese woman. In comparison to female images in Western stories, Chinese women are the active ones in their intimate relationships with men. They have been oppressed for many years because they are recognised as the subject of desire and as having reflexive aggression. However, with enough love, a girl dares to separate from her natal family, to fight against the patriarchal system, and to be herself. Identifying with the father’s aggression can facilitate her in this process.

The "Meek" and "Proud" Types of Female Images in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky: A Study of the Question of Virtue

The article analyzes the types of "meek" and "proud" female images in the works of F.M. Dostoevsky in connection with the typologies of the images of the writer among the literary critics N.A. Dobrolyubov, V.F. Pereverzev and A.A. Gizetti. The article refers to the classical authors of the early critical understanding of Dostoevsky's works, who divided female images into two opposite types of the "meek" and "proud". At the same time, the article emphasizes the idea that in Dostoevsky's polyphonic world every literary hero has a multidimensional consciousness, which is why the direct dichotomous division into the "proud" and "meek" can only be a rough generalization. The first part of the article examines the typologies of N.A. Dobrolyubov, as well as one of V.F. Pereverzev, who creates the most ambitious and significant typology, considering female images. He sensitively notices the ambiguity and tragedy of Dostoevsky's heroines and introduces the term "the doppelgngerwoman" into the typology of female images, on the basis of which each heroine somehow contains a certain internal conflict, the solution of which in the course of a novel allows her character to develop towards one of the indicated subtypes. The second part of the article analyzes the typology of A.A. Gizetti, who in his research focuses on such type of Dostoevsky's female images as the "proud", highlighting a new, "mysterious" subtype of the Dostoevsky's proud heroine. In the performed comparison of "meek" and "proud" types of female images it is considered to distinguish positive and negative ethical meanings of them. The article formulates conclusions about the various subtypes of "meek" and "proud" characters in the writer's artistic world, and outlines the grounds for further system of understanding of meekness and pride on a scale of correlation with vice and virtue.

Eve, Magdalina, Samaritian... (To the Typology of Female Images in the Novel of L. M. Leonov “Thief”)

Purpose. The article presents the results of the analysis of key female images in the novel by L. M. Leonov “Thief”: Masha Dolomanova, Tatiana Vekshina, Zinaida Balueva, Ksenia Babkina – whose fates are united by a typological commonality. The relevance of the study is due to the rethinking of the role of women in the modern world and art, and the formation of heroines, unhappy men in the world of men, in the literature of the 20th century developed, including under the influence of post-revolutionary, post-war reality, under the influence of urbanization. Methodology. The study based on the works devoted to the poetics of motif, image. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were set: determination of artistically significant motives; comparison of plot lines with precedent texts (mostly biblical); explanation of details that clarify the essence of female images. Using the method of motif analysis, identified the main motives involved in creating the storylines of each heroine, and their variants. Results. The motif of violence is highlighted, which is presented in the following allomotives: sexual violence (including deprivation of innocence) – for all heroines, except for Zinaida Balueva; physical violence (beating) – images of Masha Dolomanova, Zinaida Balueva – and suicide (Ksenia Babkina); psychological abuse (like suppression of will, lack of care) – all heroines. Within the framework of the method of structural-typological analysis, female characters were correlated with the poles of the binary opposition between the evil wife and the good wife, ascending to the Holy Scriptures. It was found that, in addition to the motive of violence, which is present in the storyline of each heroine, but conditioned not by the will of the person, but by chance, Leonov’s female characters are united by the motive of temptation, temptation, which allows one to assess their individual position and explain the tragic outcome of life. Conclusion. The female images in the novel “Thief” are comparable with such biblical personalities as Eve, Mary Magdalene, an unnamed Samaritan woman, Tatiana the Martyr. Their fates are determined by the actions or desires of other heroes, which, given the fact that they have not found their own God, ultimately leads to despair and irrevocable death.

On the Female Images in Feng Menglong's "Three Volumes of Stories"

Feng Menglong’s "Three Volumes of Stories" involves many female images. "Being bought and sold at arbitrarily" was the common destiny of women in that period; "cheating for love" was a new love choice made by women under the influence of the Enlightenment in the late Ming Dynasty; "getting married" can be said to be the resistance of women who were forced to fall in the past dynasties to their fate.

THE IMAGE OF THE “DREAMED” GIRL IN M.Yu. LERMONTOV’s PROSE: BIOGRAPHICAL AND ARTISTIC ASPECT

The article examines the conceptually significant image of the ideal «dreamed» girl in M.Yu. Lermontov's works. This image is understood as an artistic personification of the ideal of love. The image of the ideal girl is inextricably linked with the central themes of Lermontov's entire work and has a biographical conditionality. At the same time, autobiographism is understood as an author's natural tendency to consider the event of his life within the category of universally significant. The article traces the special artistic features of the image of the dreamed girl in Lermontov's entire work. Based on the component of “dreaminess”, there were analyzed female images in prose: the novel “Vadim”, “Princess Ligovskaya”, “Hero of our time”, and the tale “Ashik-Kerib”. The result of such an analysis is the selection of a special discourse of the Lermontov's “dreamed girl”, which has its own specifics and means of artistic embodiment.

“It is not a miracle, but grief...”: representations of Sergey Kozlov's on soteriological mission of the woman (based on the novella “Mother-Masha”)

This article analyzes the views of the contemporary Ugric writer Sergey Kozlov pertaining to mission of the women in 1990s – 2000s, which was the turning period for the country. The novella “Mother-Masha” demonstrates that it textual space, namely the woman becomes the symbol of justice of the Christian fabric of life, and is reflected in the sincere desire of the protagonist to establish good and justice in the world. The author contemplates on S. Kozlov's ideological and artistic views upon the role of the woman at the time of major transformations in the Russian history. Reference to the writer’s fictional prose, diaries, and interviews allows revealing the peculiarities of his axiological position in the context of the Russian philosophy of femininity. The scientific novelty of this research is substantiated by the need for articulation of the problem related to the study of specificity of female images in the creative heritage of Siberian writer Sergey Kozlov. Comprehensive analysis of the writer's novella “Mother-Masha” included into the book “Duty Angel” (2011) is carried out. The article introduces the sources, such as diary notes and interview materials, which have not been previously used in studying the works of S. Kozlov. The conclusion is made that soteriological mission was imposed on Mother Masha – the woman who proliferated the Divine Commandments to the world and is associated with the symbol of national salvation.

Female images in the novel “Three Comrades” by Erich Maria Remarque

This article analyzes female images in the novel “Arch of Triumph” by Erich Maria Remarque. The research is based on the theory of N. Pavlovich that each image has several similar invariants ascending to the uniform archetype. A hypothesis is advanced that the characters in the works of E. M. Remarque can be divided into two groups: 1) associated with the generally literary archetypes; 2) collective living images. The article also examines female images who have a plot-driven and artistic meaning in the text, although do not belong to the indicated time period. The image of Patricia Holman in the novel is associated with the mythological archetype, which is reflected in the description of her appearance, behavior, and corresponding events. It is noted that all central female images in the novels by E. M. Remarque have are intertwined with the mystical characters from myths and legends. The scientific novelty consists in tracing the evolution in description of the images of public female figures in comparison with another novel – “Arch of Triumph”. The author also examines another narrative parallel between the two novels: similar stories of two families lived in a particular historical time. The conclusion is made that the storyline of many novels by Erich Maria Remarque is based on a certain pattern. The author attempted to reconstruct the aforementioned pattern, which has largely proven the assumptions put forward in the earlier research.

The evolution of female image in the works of Vajiravudh

The object of this research is the evolution of female image in the works of King Vajiravudh of Siam, who is considered the father of modern Thai literature. The subject of this research is the portraits of heroines in the original Thai-language works of the monarch, both dramatic and epic, which allow us tracing the artistic transformations of female images. The historical and biographical methods reveal the status of women in the new Thai society of the early XX century and how it affect the author’s views. The problematic of the “feminine” was associated with the author’s pursuit of ideal of Thai woman from ethical perspective. This is the first research on the topic within Thai or foreign historiography. The female images, the role of women in society and fate of the nation is the pervasive theme in all works by King Vajiravudh. The author disrupts the traditional canon and depicts a new woman, who claims her rights to the freedom of choice despite the patriarchal principles. At the same time, the entire gallery of female images is an attempt to find compromise between the progress and traditional values, to create the ideal of Thai woman, which could find realization in real life.