DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2022.12.39144

Abstract: The presented work examines the thanatological motifs in the work of the German writer E.M. Remarque. The influence of historical events is assumed not only on the plot and ideological levels of the novel, but also on the figurative. The hypothesis about the tendency in the work of E.M. Remarque to the widespread use of images traditionally associated with death is put forward and proved. The aim of the work is to prove the author's special understanding of the theme of death and its realization in the novel by E.M. Remarque "Life on loan or Heaven knows no favorites". The object of the study is a special Remark's representation of the category of death and its place in the literature of the "lost generation". The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the authors present a new interpretation of the title of the novel in connection with the original belonging of the characters to the afterlife. The main content of the study is the analysis of the poetical levels of the novel; motives, mythologems and images of death are analyzed at the ideological-thematic, plot, character, space-time and genre levels; citation examples are given for various connotations of death for each character of the novel by E.M. Remarque "Life on loan or Heaven knows no favorites". Special attention is paid to the phenomenon of semantic substitution of the real definition of the concept of life for an antonymic one. In conclusion, the role of death at the compositional level of the work is revealed.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2021.10.36379

Abstract: 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.