Image of a Small Homeland through the Prism of Artistic Concepts in Halyna Guzovska-Korytska's Collection of Short Stories “The World Around Us”

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze the image of a small homeland through the prism of artistic concepts in Halyna Guzovska-Korytska's collection of short stories «The World Around Us». The importance of this study is that it reveals the peculiarities of creating the image of a small homeland through the prism of artistic concepts and clearly demonstrates the relevance of the stories and the significance of the collection in the formation of a nationally conscious reader. It synthesises subconcepts that deepen this image, the thoughtful perception of which contributes to the cultivation of a sense of love for the native land, self-awareness as part of one's nation, and forms a patriotic principle. The novelty of the work lies in the attempt to comprehensively study the key concepts of Word, Hope, Goodness, Life, Future, Fate, Memory, Wisdom, Joy, Indifference, Gratitude, Mercy, Childhood, Resilience, and others.

The most widely represented concept in the stories is that of the Family. People depicted in the work are wise, prudent, caring, sincere, and hardworking. The writer creates a gallery of images of a small person who is the bearer of folk morality and is in love with the native land. The concept of Family is revealed by the author on the following levels: a group of people consisting of a man, a woman, children and close relatives living together; a family, a generation; a native land, a homeland.

It is worth noting how consistently and deeply the concept of Life, without which the entire world around us has no meaning, is depicted in the stories. The author embodies this concept with the help of cognates: life, vitality, vivacity, each of which enhances the significance of this concept. The researcher complements this concept by introducing the philosophical categories of fate, future, and futureness into the text of the stories (author's novelty).

The image of a small homeland created by Halyna Guzovska-Korytska in her collection of short stories “The World Around Us” is revealed through numerous concepts, both abstract and emotional, and traditional and characteristic. They are either tightly intertwined or exist independently and are self-sufficient.

A feature of the author's idiom is that each story ends with a short logical conclusion that accumulates the main idea of what the work is about. These are usually nominal one-syllable sentences. The lexemes used in them are mostly abstract and emotional concepts: “Future”, “Friendliness”, “Wisdom”, “Awe”, “Resilience”, “Compassion”.

The imagery of the artistic word, by means of which the concepts are created, is striking: metaphors, similes, personification, gradation, and antithesis.