The fairy mythologem in the novels «The enchannted musicians» by Halyna Pahutiak and «The unicorn» by Iris Murdoch

Abstract

Aim. The article is devoted to mythopoetic analysis of the novels «The Enchanted Musicians» by H. Pahutiak and «The Unicorn» by I. Murdoch. The aim of the article is to reveal the specific character of interpreting the Celtic mythologem «fairy» in both authors’ works and to reveal the typological parallels in the literary prose of these writers.

Methods. In the article there have been applied comparative, intertextual, semiological and poetological methods. The applied methods made it possible to determine typological and original features of H. Pahutiak’s and A. Murdoch’s mythological thinking; reveal mythological intertexts, examine the semantics of mythological motifs and images, mythologems and mythemes and analyze the mythopoetics of the novels.

Results. The research shows that the genesis of the main characters and major motifs in H. Pahutiak’s and I. Murdoch’s novels is related to the Celtic mythologem «fairy» which is interpreted in a gothic tradition by both authors. The typological resemblances are traced most vividly in visualizing the Fairy lover mythologem, in using a neo-mythological technique of deheroization of the knight character, in the dominant atmosphere of a fatal mystery, the correlation of tragic modus with the bog topos, and also in constructing enigmatic parallel worlds with different temporal features.

Scientific novelty. The paper is the first attempt to perform a comparative analysis of the novels «The Enchanted Musicians» by H. Pahutiak and «The Unicorn» by A. Murdoch in the light of literary reception of Celtic mythology, and also to determine typological resemblances of the writers’ mythological thinking.

Pactical significance. The article may serve for further study of the typological parallels in H. Pahutiak’s and A. Murdoch’s creative works. The results of the research can be used for writing course and diploma papers.