литература США

The article deals with the images of eccentric characters in the short stories “Jerry and Molly and Sam” (1972), “Fat” (1971), “They Are Not Your Husband” (1973), “Neighbors” (1971), “The Idea” (1972) written by an outstanding American writer of the second half of the 20th century R. Carver. The definitions of the concepts of “eccentricity” and “grotesque” are given, the fundamental difference between “eccentric” and the related concepts of “jester” and “rogue” is highlighted, examples of the interpretation of “eccentricity” in the previous literary tradition are given.

F. Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground (1864) exerted a considerable influence on American literature since 1940s. The works by outstanding authors beginning with Saul Bellow (Dangling Man, 1944) or Jerome Salinger’s prose and up to Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho, 1991), Percy Walker, David Foster Wallace, show a persistent fascination of American writers with the novella and are based on re-reading and re-interpreting Dostoevsky’s ideas, motives and imagery.

The problem of culture and its purpose is the focal point in the ideology of Wittgenstein’s Mistress, D. Markson’s philosophical novel. The main character overcomes her initial pragmatic approach to culture as a sequence of objective facts in L. Wittgenstein’s manner, and heads towards the discovery of its spiritual significance that helps one to realize oneself as M. Heidegger’s Dasein.