SEMANTICS OF THE DEPICTION OF DAUGAVPILS IN ANITA LIEPA’S DOCUMENTARY PROSE AND FICTION

Anita Liepa (born 1928) is a contemporary Latvian prose writer whose creative work was closely related to the post-soviet period in Latvia in the late 20th – and the beginning of the 21st century. In her works she depicted significant evidence of complex and contradictory processes in the history of Latvia in the 20th century, especially those related to World War II and its consequences for Latvia. Her works are divided into two distinct groups: documentary prose and fiction. The writer was born in Daugavpils, a town on the south-eastern border of Latvia, that had a significant role in the history of Latvia, especially in relation to World War II, as the town, was the place of dislocation of the major cavalry corps regiment in Daugavpils fortress. A. Liepa’s uncle Anatolijs Sondors was the fortress commandant, who faced the entrance of the Red Army and along with other Latvian army officers was deported to the Far North of the Soviet Union and died there.The present paper regards the depiction of the cultural space of Daugavpils in Liepa’s works, searching for parallels with the writer’s biography and views expressed in different media, that attribute specific connotations to the semantic of the topos of Daugavpils with border as its major dominant. The paper follows up the depiction of Daugavpils both in Liepa’s documentary prose (“Exhumation”, “Colt Years”, “Silenced Pages”) and fiction (“Windfall”). The paper is methodologically based on the notions of cultural geography, semiotics and feminist autobiography studies. It makes use of Mikhail Bakhtin’s term “topos” to denote a model of spatial construction. Border is singled out as the central element of the semantic of the topos of Daugavpils in Liepa’s works, focusing on its spatial, temporal aspects, as well as the depiction of culture environment.The topos of Daugavpils is most precisely and extensively depicted in the memory novel “Colt Years” („Kumeļa gadi”). Though published in 1993, the novel had actually been completed before any other of Liepa’s documentary works; this may partially be the reason, why she made depictions of Daugavpils in her following works more laconic. However, the major difference is determined by the genre of her works. In documentary prose the topos of Daugavpils reveals the information about the epoch or what may be called “signs of the time”, activating the culture code (according to Roland Barthes’ division of codes into hermeneutic, semic, proairetic, symbolic, culture codes), yet also developing a bond with the depiction of action and manifestations of the narrator’s subjective emotional states and the system of values. In works of fiction, space is a poetic category closely related to other poetic elements of the text, foregrounding the hermeneutic, semic, proairetic and symbolic codes. Hence, in “Colt Years” the topos of Daugavpils depicts not only the historical and cultural realia and landmarks of the town in the period of the 1930–1940s, but also spatial opposites of two homes the homodiegetic narrator lived in (her deceased father’s house, where she spent the happiest time of her childhood, and her uncle’s hous, where she lived during her school years), accentuating the bond between space and the narrator’s psycho-symbolic reality (referring to the semic and symbolic codes). The link between the topos of Daugavpils and the plot in all documentary works regarded is implied by the locus of Daugavpils railway station as a point of departure or arrival of characters involved in central plot lines. Scenery seen through the train window is realistically described in detail, providing place names, geographical names, referring to earlier episodes of characters’ lives. Thus, the proairetic code is activated along with the culture and other codes. The hermeneutic code is activated in the novel “Windfall” in a very interesting way. On the one hand, the author realistically describes the town of Daugavpils referring to historical events of the time of Awakening there; on the other, the toponym “Daugavpils” is replaced by an imagined name “Rūdunava”. Thus, the analysis of the depiction of Daugavpils in A. Liepa’s works leads to conclusions about the close connection between the category of space and the genre

Leldes Stumbres dramaturģija

Advisor: Benedikts Kalnač

Chronotope in novel "Cilvēki dārzā" by A. Grigulis and novel "Dārza māja" by K. Zariņš

Bakalaura darbā "Hronotops A. Griguļa romānā “Cilvēki dārzā” un K. Zariņa romānā “Dārza māja”" tiek analizēts abu romānu literārais hronotops. Laiktelpas tiek aplūkotas, iedalot tās vairākās kategorijās: psiholoģiskais hronotops, kurā tiek aplūkota tēlu iekšējā pasaule, vēsturiskais jeb reālo vidi atveidojošs hronotops, satikšanās hronotops un dārza hronotops, kurā tiek aplūkotas dārza funkcijas un nozīme romānos. Pievēršoties laiktelpas vispārīgajam raksturojumam un klasificēšanai, autore skaidro laiktelpas jēdzienu, vēstījuma veidus un paņēmienus, kā arī psiholoģiskā romāna iezīmes.In the bachelor’s thesis "Chronotope in novel "Cilvēki dārzā" by A. Grigulis and novel "Dārza māja" by K. Zariņš" there is the analysis of the literary chronotope. Timespace is covered by a number of categories: psychological chronotope, in which the main object is inner world of the characters, historical chronotope, meeting chronotope and the chronotope of garden, in which main focus is on garden’s functions and meaning in the novels. Focusing on the general nature and classification of the timespace, the author makes clear the concept of the chronotope, the types and techniques of the narrative, and the features of a psychological novel

Chronotope in novel “Vilcēni” by A. Manfelde, novel “Sarkanais dzīvsudrabs” by A. Jundze and novel “Jelgava 94” by J. Joņevs

Maģistra darba “Hronotops A. Manfeldes romānā “Vilcēni”, A. Jundzes romānā “Sarkanais dzīvsudrabs” un J. Joņeva romānā “Jelgava 94” mērķis ir raksturot un analizēt fiktīvo romānu 20. gadsimta 90. gadu laiktelpu Latvijā un citus ar to saistītus literāros hronotopus. Darba teorētiskajā daļā sniegts hronotopa teorētiskais ieskats, ieskats semiotiskajā un naratoloģijas pētniecības metodē; aplūkota hronotopa un romāna saistība; ieskats romānu recepcijā kritikā; sniegts ieskats kultūrvēsturiskajā situācijā un pilsētas laiktelpā. Pētījuma praktiskajā daļā tiek analizēts 20. gadsimta 90. gadu hronotops romānos caur naratīvu un kā tas atklājas caur dažādām semiotiskajām zīmēm pilsētvidē.The aim of the master’s thesis “Chronotope in novel “Vilcēni” by A. Manfelde, novel “Sarkanais dzīvsudrabs” by A. Jundze and novel “Jelgava 94” by J. Joņevs” is to describe and analyze the fictional time of the 1990s in Latvia in novels and other related literary chronotopes. In the theoretical part of the work a theoretical insight into the chronotope, a insight into the semiotic and naratological research method; the relationships between chronotope and novel; insight into the critique of the reception of the novels are given; an insight into the cultural and historical situation and the time-space of the city are provided. In the practical part of the study the chronotope of the 1990s in novels through narrative has been analysed as well how it is revealed through various semiotic signs in the urban environment

Chronotope in John Banville`s Novels

Šajā darbā tiek petīts hronotops Džona Benvila romānos. Teorētiska daļa balstās uz hronotopa konceptu, kura autors ir Mihails Bahtins, kā arī apskata galvenās filozofiskās laika, telpas un naratīva teorijas. Šī darba praktiskais mērķis ir atspoguļot Dž. Benvila romānu hronotopa raksturojumu un nodemonstrēt kā tas izpaužas neuzticamā stāstītāja vēstījumā. Šis pētījums pierāda, ka hronotopa konstrukcija veidojas caur Benvila neuzticamā stāstītāja ļoti subjektīvo pasaules uztveri. Lielākoties Benvila daiļliteratūras dominanta tiek definēta kā epistemoloģiska. Lai gan Benvila daiļliteratūrā arī parādās ontoloģiskie un eksistenciālie jautājumi, ir vairāki pierādījumi, kas ļauj attiecināt viņa darbus vairāk modernismam, nevis postmodernismam. Atslēgvārdi: Mihails Bahtins, Džons Benvils, hronotops, laiks, telpa, epistemoloģoja, modernisms.The present research deals with the description of the chronotope in John Banville’s novels. In its theoretical part it relies on the concept of chronotope developed by Mikhail Bakhtin and on some key philosophical studies of time, space and narrative. The practical purpose of the present thesis is to describe the peculiar features of Banville’s chronotope and to demonstrate how it is realised by the narrator in his confessional writing. The research proves that the chronotope construction in Banville’s novels takes place through the extremely subjective view of the world by Banville’s typical unreliable narrator. The dominant of Banville’s fiction is defined as an epistemological one. Though ontological and existential questions are also present in Banville’s fiction, there is more evidence to categorise his novels as modernist rather than postmodernist. Key words: Mikhail Bakhtin, John Banville, chronotope, time, space, epistemology, modernism

Cormac McCarthy's „No Country for Old Men”: - Narative Elements in Film and Novel

Šis maģistra darbs, "Kormaka Makārteja „Kur sirmgalvjiem nav vietas " – naratīva elementi filmā un romānā" ir koncentrēts uz filmas adaptācijas „Kur sirmgalvjiem nav vietas" naratīva un Kormaka Makārtija literarārā pirmavota teksta ar tādu pašu nosaukumu literārā naratīva salīdzinājumu. Darba mērķis ir atainot abu tekstu līdzības un atšķirības un pierādīt, ka filma ievērojami atšķiras ar izdomu un stāstījuma veidu. Teorētiskajā daļā ir sniegts izskaidrojums tādiem konceptiem, kā naratīvs, laiks un telpa, Bahtina hronotops, naratīva perspektīva, fokalizācija un vesterna žanrs, kas ir svarīgi elementi filmas un literārā teksta naratīvu attiecību izpētē. Darba rezultāts apstiprina maģistra darba hipotēzi un pierāda, ka filmas naratīvs ievērojami atšķiras ar izdomu un stāstījuma veidu, kas arī spēlē svarīgu lomu abu stāstu varoņu likteņos. Atslēgvārdi: naratīvs, laiks un telpa, Bakhtina hronotops, vesterna žanrsThe present master thesis, ‘Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men – Narative Elements in Film and Novel’, focuses on the comparision of the narrative in the adapted film No Country for Old Men and the literary narrative in the source text by Cormac McCarthy bearing the same tite. Its purpose is to demonstrate various distinctions and similarities of both texts and to prove that the film significantly differs in inventiveness and the style of rendering the story. The theoretical part explains the concepts of narrative, time and space, Bakhtin’ s chronotope, narrative perspective, focalization and the western genre that are essential elements in the analysis of the relationship between the film and the literary fiction narratives. The results confirm the hypothesis of the thesis and demonstrate that the film narrative significantly differs in inventiveness and style the story is rendered, which also plays an important role in the fates of the characters in both stories

Cormac McCarthy's „No Country for Old Men”: - Narative Elements in Film and Novel

Šis maģistra darbs, "Kormaka Makārteja „Kur sirmgalvjiem nav vietas " – naratīva elementi filmā un romānā" ir koncentrēts uz filmas adaptācijas „Kur sirmgalvjiem nav vietas" naratīva un Kormaka Makārtija literarārā pirmavota teksta ar tādu pašu nosaukumu literārā naratīva salīdzinājumu. Darba mērķis ir atainot abu tekstu līdzības un atšķirības un pierādīt, ka filma ievērojami atšķiras ar izdomu un stāstījuma veidu. Teorētiskajā daļā ir sniegts izskaidrojums tādiem konceptiem, kā naratīvs, laiks un telpa, Bahtina hronotops, naratīva perspektīva, fokalizācija un vesterna žanrs, kas ir svarīgi elementi filmas un literārā teksta naratīvu attiecību izpētē. Darba rezultāts apstiprina maģistra darba hipotēzi un pierāda, ka filmas naratīvs ievērojami atšķiras ar izdomu un stāstījuma veidu, kas arī spēlē svarīgu lomu abu stāstu varoņu likteņos. Atslēgvārdi: naratīvs, laiks un telpa, Bakhtina hronotops, vesterna žanrsThe present master thesis, ‘Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men – Narative Elements in Film and Novel’, focuses on the comparision of the narrative in the adapted film No Country for Old Men and the literary narrative in the source text by Cormac McCarthy bearing the same tite. Its purpose is to demonstrate various distinctions and similarities of both texts and to prove that the film significantly differs in inventiveness and the style of rendering the story. The theoretical part explains the concepts of narrative, time and space, Bakhtin’ s chronotope, narrative perspective, focalization and the western genre that are essential elements in the analysis of the relationship between the film and the literary fiction narratives. The results confirm the hypothesis of the thesis and demonstrate that the film narrative significantly differs in inventiveness and style the story is rendered, which also plays an important role in the fates of the characters in both stories