Primum non nocere: Морально-етична проблематика у літературно-медичному дискурсі американської прози XX століття

Abstract

The article analyzes the moral and ethical dominant features of the doctor’s worldview in the literary and medical discourse based on the material of American 20th century prose. The aim of the research is to examine the narrative representation of deontological issues as exemplified by the novels “Arrowsmith” (1925) by Sinclair Lewis, “That None Should Die” (1941) by Frank Gill Slaughter, “A Case of Need” (1969) by Michael Crichton, “Coma” (1977) by Robin Cook and others. The problems of deontology in the plane of artistic work have been studied using modern literary criticism research in the areas of narratology and receptive aesthetics, which determines the relevance of the present paper. The author’s intentions and reader’s strategies in designing the narrative space, focused on bioethical issues, have been analyzed. The theoretical significance of the article consists in the study of moral and ethical dominant features in the medical discourse of the 20th century U.S. prose. Within the framework of the material under consideration, the U.S. writers focus on deontological issues in order to implement a particular artistic intention, which acts in compliance with a certain literary trend and according to a specific stage in the development of American medicine and healthcare. Further research is needed to study the fictional representation of bioethical issues in the literary and medical discourse of the U.S. prose, which will improve the content of training courses in the world literature and form a methodological basis for the development of special courses, theme-based seminars and academic syllabi.