СИМВОЛИЗМ ТРАНСКУЛЬТУРАЛЬНОГО ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННОГО ТЕКСТА КАК МЕХАНИЗМ УСИЛЕНИЯ КОГНИТИВНОЙ АКТИВНОСТИ ЧИТАТЕЛЕЙ

Abstract

Using transcultural fiction by V. Nabokov, K. Ishiguro, Lan Cao and Anya Ulinich as its case studies this article examines the role of symbolism in the texts created by bilingual writers. The article proposes to define transcultural symbols as a special type of literary images synergetically representing ideas and themes of at least two cultures and expressing the unique translingual/transcultural authorial modality. The aim of the article is to analyse major functions of transcultural symbols in creating transcultural literary texts and to determine their significance for enhancing readers’ cognitive activity. The article proves the hypothesis that transcultural symbols might be viewed as a creative result of the bilingual authors’ reflection over complex mechanisms of “semiotic condensation” representing cultural memory, contributing to the increased expressivity, emotivity and ludic modality of transcultural fiction and requiring advanced trascultural/translingual competence on the part of its readers. The findings of the research prove that it is the combination of elements of stylistic and linguo-semiotic analyses that might provide an effective methodology for interpreting transcultural fiction and transcultural symbolism of such texts, in particular. The overall outcome testifies to the importance of further research into varied mechanisms of foregrounding transcultural symbols in fiction, and to the relevance of investigating possible ways to develop readers’ transcultural competence