Boyko, M. E. Method of Structural Analysis of Literary Characters: Approbation and First Results

Abstract: The article describes one of the most promising direction in psychological literary studies – literary characterology. The author of the article approbates the method of hypothetic reconstruction of literary heroes by means of a text structural analysis. The object of the research is the roman ‘Venus in Fur’ (1869) written by an Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher-Mazoch. The main heroes there are identified as accentuated personalities standing very close to pathology. It is well shown that the structural analysis allows to take a new look at the plot and conflict of the novel and better understand a very complex phenomenon of masochism. The author introduces such terms as ‘aglo charaters’ and ‘micro schisis’ and defines a number of certain patterns which were not noticed by researchers before.

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