Linguistic means of creating the image of the anti-hero in W. Ayguals de Izco’s novel «El Tigre del Maestrazgo»

Abstract

The article is focused on the analysis of linguistic features of the «history-novel» by W. Ayguals de Izco «The Tiger of Maestrazgo», published in 1846–1848 and dedicated to R. Cabrera, one of the leaders of the Carlist movement in Spain in the 1830-ies. The relevance of this article is due to both the lack of scientific publications about W. Ayguals de Izco in Russian, and the relevance of «The Tiger of Maestrazgo» in the anti-Carlist political discourse in Spain in the middle of the XIX century. A brief review of recent publications on the writer’s work is offered as well as the history of the book creation. It is concluded that the publication of «The Tiger of Maestrazgo» was a reaction to the apologetic biography of R. Cabrera, written by B. de Cordoba, as well as to the uprising of the Carlists in Catalonia, which began in 1846. The anti-hero of the work is R. Cabrera, who in the novel personifies Carlism. The article analyzes the vocabulary used to create his image. 66 adjectives and 116 nouns and substantive combinations related to Cabrera and having negative connotations are registered in «The Tiger of Maestrazgo». There are 4 categories of lexemes that are used by the author to describe the anti-hero of the work: designations of social belonging; ethnonyms; names of animals; words related to the religion. W. Ayguals de Izco focuses the attention of readers on the unprofessionalism of R. Cabrera, who does not have a military education. The anti-hero is compared to «savages» from Africa and the New World and to predatory animals. W. Ayguals de Izco emphasizes that R. Cabrera has a «satanic» nature. Describing the birth of R. Cabrera, the writer parodies the gospel story about the birth of Christ. W. Ayguals de Izco not only creates a negative image of the leader R. Cabrera, but also criticizes the entire Carlist movement.