Artistic interpretations of Genghis Khan’s image in the English-language literature of the XX and XXI centuries
Egorova Olga Gennadievna, Belyakov Dmitry Aleksandrovich
Moscow State Linguistic University
Submitted: 04.07.2023
Abstract. The study aims to identify the most common artistic models of Genghis Khan’s representation in the English-language literature of various genres of the XX and XXI centuries using the example of works by major English-speaking authors. The researchers analysed the following works: ‘Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World’ by Jack Weatherford, ‘Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy’ by Paul Ratchnevsky, ‘Genghis Khan: The Man Who Conquered the World’ by Frank McLynn, ‘Chinggis Khan (Makers of the Muslim World)’ by Michal Biran, ‘The Earth Is the Lord’s: A Tale of the Rise of Genghis Khan’ by Taylor Caldwell, ‘On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through the Land of the Nomads’ by Tim Cope, the ‘Conqueror’ series by Conn Iggulden, ‘Genghis Khan: Emperor of All Men’ by Harold Lamb, ‘Genghis Khan’ by James Chambers, ‘Genghis Khan: Life, Death, and Resurrection’ by John Man. The scientific novelty lies in the emphasis on the specifics of the image of the famous conqueror in English-language literatures, which discovered Genghis Khan as a character much later than Soviet literature in Russian. The results showed that the English-speaking authors are interested in the life path of Genghis Khan starting from his early years and ending with a mystical death. At every stage of his life, the authors set their sights on unraveling a certain mystery: the mystery of his elevation, the mystery of many victories, the mystery of authority, the mystery of death, etc. Unlike Soviet authors, who, for obvious reasons, were interested in Genghis Khan more as a ferocious conqueror, the English-speaking authors want to understand him as a person and trace his success story.
Key words and phrases: англоязычная литература XX и XXI веков, образ Чингисхана в литературе, художественные интерпретации образа Чингисхана, English literature of the XX and XXI centuries, Genghis Khan’s image in literature, artistic interpretations of Genghis Khan’s image
Open the whole article in PDF format. Free PDF-files viewer can be downloaded .
References:
Bakhtin M. M. Avtor i geroi v esteticheskoi deistvitel'nosti // Bakhtin M. M. Estetika slovesnogo tvorchestva. M.: Iskusstvo, 1985.
Borisova E. B. O Soderzhanii ponyatii «khudozhestvennyi obraz» i «obraznost'» v literaturovedenii i lingvistike // Vestnik Chelyabinskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. 2009. № 35 (173). Filologiya. Iskusstvovedenie. Vyp. 37.
Goncharova N. Yu. Obshcheteoreticheskie osnovy izucheniya ponyatiya «obraz» // Vestnik Vyatskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Yazykoznanie i literaturovedenie. 2012. Vyp. 2.
Mezenin S. M. Obraznost' kak lingvisticheskaya kategoriya // Voprosy yazykoznaniya. 1983. Vyp. 6.
Peshko V. E. Vzaimokharakteristiki i vnutrennyaya rech' kak kharakterologicheskie sredstva // Problema kharaktera v zarubezhnoi literature: sb. st. Sverdlovsk, 1985.
Timofeev L. I. Osnovy teorii literatury: ucheb. posobie dlya ped. in-tov. Izd-e 5-e, ispr. i dop. M.: Prosveshchenie, 1976.
Bradbury S. Khan of All He Surveys. ‘Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection’ by John Man // The Guardian. 2004. URL: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/mar/20/biography.history
‘Genghis Khan’ by James Chambers (1999). 2019. URL: https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2019/11/10/genghis-khan-james-chambers/
Mack D. J. Eurasia’s Ride or Die. Review of McLynn, Genghis Khan – His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy. 2015. URL: https://china.usc.edu/mclynn-genghis-khan-his-conquests-his-empire-his-legacy-2015
Русский
