Literary Criticism Research Articles

The birth of the "authorial commentary". The history of the concept from the word form to critical reception (1921-1935)

The subject of this study is the history of the concept of "authorial commentary" in Russian literary criticism of the 1920s and 30s. The moment of the appearance of its actual word form, as well as its equivalent, "auto-commentary", is recorded. The key research method is historical semantics, which provides a methodological framework for combining the semantic, pragmatic analysis of the concept of "author's commentary", as well as the epistemological analysis of the associated representation system. Auxiliary methods are the epistemology of the humanities, which makes it possible to establish the essence of the literary concept. In the course of this study, a sketch of the periodization of the history of the concept of "authorial commentary" was given. The thesis was put forward that the period from 1921 to 1935 is central to its existence in literary discourse, during which the tradition of its dual use was established. This tradition is relevant to this day. An epistemological characteristic of this period was given. It shows the predominance of the psychological understanding of commentary over its understanding as the form of literary study. It was found out that in the context of the formation of textology, this concept denoted the connection of an artistic work with the non-fiction texts of the author accompanying its appearance. The equivalence of the word forms "authorial commentary" and "auto-commentary" was demonstrated, and the thesis was put forward that author's commentary was defined by literary critics of the 20s and 30s as a type of auto-criticism, and the very doctrine of auto-criticism was part of the psychology of creativity. The last was predominant and influential concept of the time due to complex relations between psychoanalysis and psychological criticism, and young soviet literature studies.

Imaginea lui Narcis în critica literară

A mythical image takes on new connotations in literary criticism. The image of the myth is used as an explanatory route from the context that maintains the explanation of the relationship between the text and the author/writer. Narcissism is analyzed from the perspective of the “mirror effect” paradigm by university professor Sanda-Maria Ardeleanu and the participants of the transdisciplinary project: Fiction-Psychiatry / Anthropology. The main objectives are: differential explanation of narcissism, depending on time; the approach of several scientific models; explaining the scientific consensus on the notion of narcissism; the investigation of narcissism in some Romanian writers from the 20th century. In this regard, the literary critic elaborates his vision in an explanatory stratification that contains certain landmarks, which the reader begins to notice the interpretive construct similar to a journey. The mythical image used in the study of literary criticism has an element that fascinates through its recognition and the detection of the transformations attributed to it by the researcher. Academician Eugen Simion, a graduate of the University of Bucharest, cataloged in “Fiction of the intimate diary” the relationships between the author and the diary from the perspective of Narcis’s fears/expectations. The problem of reflection involves the researcher to probe another fundamental element of the myth – the mirror. And this is not about the surface of the lake or the Venetian mirror. Any mirror is imperfect for the one who struggles with the goal of stopping time, of perpetuating himself in an eternal metamorphosis. Academician Mihai Cimpoi investigates the Eminesian creation through the monad Narcissus – Hyperion. Other correspondences persist with other mythical characters, such as: Neptune, Prometheus, Orpheus, Parce, etc. To explain the possible perspectives of knowledge in Eminesian creation, the researcher will be determined by two names from Greek mythology: Narcissus and Hyperion.

Faire de la non-fiction une profession de foi litteraire et politique : fabrique d’une œuvre « braconne », construction d’une posture auctoriale et usages litteraires stratégiques de la sociologie par Annie Ernaux

This article examines the uses of non-fiction in the autosociobiographical work of Annie Ernaux, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2022, and the literary and political issues involved in blurring the boundaries between literature and sociology. From the “transpersonal I” of La Place (Gallimard, 1984) to the “collective autobiography” of Les Années (Gallimard, 2008), via her “exterior diaries” described as “ethnotexts”, the writer has gradually built up a distinctive authorial posture in which she shows herself as an ‘ethnologist of herself’ and of everyday life “down below”, that of her working-class social milieu of origin, in constant search of the “right” form for such narratives. Sociologically informed, this singular literary approach, characterized by a double rejection of the pitfalls of misery and populist posturing, but also by a constant concern to control her own reception, aims to objectify her upward social migration trajectory and those of her social peers, in a deliberately minimalist style, ostensibly sparing of literary means and effects, often described by literary critics as “flat” or “white” writing. Opposing her concern for the “truth” to the autofiction movement to which she is still sometimes misunderstood, the author, who sees literature as a political ‘weapon of combat’, has thus initiated a specific form of autosociobiography, which is not without risk with regard to her position and recognition in the contemporary French literary field.

Second Degree Hermeneutical Approaches  On Istoria ieroglifică / The Hieroglyphic History and Animal Masks Avatars

Dimitrie Cantemir’s novel, Istoria ieroglifică [The Hieroglyphic History] is a model of writing that continues to draw the interest of literary critics concerned with the identification of its multiple sources, writing peculiarities, strategies of rhetorical reconfiguration of a (mostly) subjectively constructed reality, as well as of the way in which the writer himself is self-projected in his text. The obvious complexity of this literary text is an exegetic challenge, recently assumed by Bodan Crețu, who proposes a highly elaborate hermeneutic solution, based on thorough documentation and selection of materials, subsequently collected in an impressive study. Starting from this undertaking, our approach is intended as a hermeneutic exercise of the second degree, which, placed at the intersection between Cantemir’s writing and Crețu’s exegesis (this too having its critical response), aims to re-position, re-correlate and revise, in a dynamic read, the information contained in both texts. In more concrete terms, our study aims to measure how and to what extent the interpretation connects with the interpreted object.

Taboo Topics in Children’s Literature: Lijeve Priče (Left Stories) by Alija Isaković

The publication of Lijeve priče (Left Stories) by Alija Isaković (1990), although nearly unnoticed by contemporary literary critics, marked a turning point in Bosniak and Bosnian-Herzegovinian children’s literature at the end of the 20th century. In this only collection intended for the youngest readers, Isaković offered unexpected themes and initiated an unusual dialogue with young readers. Addressing them as equals, the author opens up a whole range of topics that had previously been taboo, such as sexuality, death, violence, and many others, which prior literary practice had avoided, offering an idyllic portrayal of childhood where there was no place for “serious” life situations. In this way, Isaković was among the first to free children’s literature from idealization and its utilitarian pedagogical dimension. This paper examines the themes that continue to qualify Lijeve priče as “inappropriate” for young readers today, as well as the justification for taboo topics in contemporary children’s literature.

The Enlightenment of Hu Shi’s Literary Wisdom on Modern Education: Language, Thought, and Humanistic Spirit

Hu Shi’s literary wisdom is actually important for changing modern Chinese social thoughts and literary ideas. It also has a great impact on education. By promoting the Vernacular Movement, Hu Shi made literature more relevant to normal people. He encouraged innovative ways of teaching language and moved away from traditional classical Chinese. This made education more accessible and practical for the general population. The popularization of vernacular education not only improved students’ language expression skills but also increased their interest in and effectiveness of learning. At the same time, Hu Shi’s literary criticism emphasized emotional expression and the analysis of social realities, fostering students’ critical thinking and independent exploration. He suggested that students should think carefully about the thoughts and emotions behind literary works. This may help them improve their ability to analyze issues and question traditional beliefs. Furthermore, Hu Shi focuses on the importance of a humanistic spirit and moral education, arouses students’ emotional resonance with literature, and helps them establish a correct outlook on life and values. He thinks that the humanistic spirit is the main component of education. By learning literature, students can get a broader mind and a deeper understanding of culture. In summary, Hu Shi’s thoughts about literature not only helped boost literary creation but also offered valuable enlightenment for modern educational theory and practice. His ideas have created new ways for education, helping to develop future talents equipped with independent thinking, critical reasoning, and deep humanistic qualities.

A LETTER FROM SPECIAL EDITION EDITOR IN CHIEF - DR. KHRIEREIZHÜNUO DZÜVICHÜ

Oriental College Kohima has successfully organised a One-Day Multi-Disciplinary Conference on "Emerging Paradigms in Social Sciences, Humanities & Commerce for the 21st Century" on the 7th of December 2024. Research scholars and teaching faculty from affiliated colleges of Nagaland University participated in the conference, and a total of 13 papers were selected to be published in the International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH as a special issue titled Emerging Paradigms in Social Sciences, Humanities & Commerce for the 21st Century The distinguished keynote speakers of the conference were Professor Nigamananda Das, Head, Department of English, Nagaland University and Dr. Jasojit Debnath, Associate Professor, Department of Commerce, Nagaland University. The papers were presented with active participation and interaction with topics ranging from Naga history, craftsmanship, self-reliance, and the sheer ingenuity and resilience of the Naga forefathers to topics intensely in tune with nature and surroundings and how the Naga forefathers understood the phenomena of nature and the sky to the benefit of their awareness and survival. The importance of the traditional institutions like the Morung, and social concepts like dignity of labour, work culture and ethics of the Naga forefathers were presented. The presentations shifted gear to recent trends like the changing and challenging roles and dynamic transformation in the status of women and participation of women in Naga politics; the success stories of the farmers of King Chilli in making a community economically stable and self –reliant; inclusivity in education; NEP 2020; status of higher Education in Nagaland, etc. Comparative literature studies found platform with works like ‘Spirited Away’ by Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese animator, filmmaker and manga artist and Easterine Kire’s ‘A Terrible Matriarchy’ being analysed in depth alongside with insightful and thought provoking take on psychoanalytic literary criticism and Naga folklore. Papers dealing with the essence and the allure of folk poetry and the plethora of feelings and emotions of poetry added much discourse on the metrical composition of Tenyimia lyrical poetry in an innovative manner. The conference is organized with the objective to bring together academicians, scientists, researchers, scholars and students to exchange and share their knowledge, experiences and research results on the aspects of advancements in the field of Social Sciences, Humanities and Commerce, based on a multidisciplinary approach through intradisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdiciplinary research, which would benefit the academic world. The discussions during the paper presentations proved to be a great opportunity for exchanging knowledge among great minds. I express my sincere thanks to the publisher of Granthaalayah Publications for collaborating with Oriental College Kohima to motivate researchers with due recognition. Oriental College Kohima looks forward to take this partnership to the next level with substantial research contributions to promote collaborative studies in the emerging paradigms of Social Sciences, Humanities & Commerce. Sincerely,Dr. Khriereizhünuo Dzüvichü

OF TEXT, STYLE, AND METHOD: EDEL GARCELLANO’S DIALECTICAL CRITICISM

In his essay entitled Philippine Hermeneutics and the Kingpins of the Hill poet, fictionist, and critic Edel Garcellano talks about the “depoliticization of literary discourse” which, he says, serves as “a strategic/tactical interpellation to allow certain modes of unity and, in effect, certain philosophies to function as though literature were outside social, economic and political imperatives in human discourses” (59). This line underscores not only the apparent failure of dominant modes of critical practice to address exigent literary issues but also the systematic marginalization of Marxist/ dialectical criticism in favor of the “non-ideological” methods of textual analysis such as American Formalism/New Criticism whose logic of operation is best exemplified in T.S. Eliot’s essay The Function of Criticism (1923), where he explains that the role of the critic is “the elucidation of works of art and the correction of taste” (24). French philosopher and literary theorist Pierre Macherey, in his book, A Theory of Literary Production, calls those who share Eliot’s dictum as “technicians of taste,” and exposes a fundamental flaw in the interventions of critics who perform their textual readings with the idea of correcting artistic taste in mind, primarily, by sticking to defining and explicating, they necessarily fail to engage in the production of knowledge: “in the attempt to define the average realities of taste they are always inevitably mistaken because their work evades rationality and does not produce a knowledge in the strict sense of the word” (14). Furthermore, Macherey argues that such a form of criticism “treats literature as a commodity” and hence, could only but establish “rules of consumption” (14). While Edel Garcellano was not the first and certainly not the last critic to go against the New Critical tide and combat the critical formulations of the so called “technicians of taste,” his sustained engagements with the works of the leading proponents of belles lettres is significant because his critiques take the form of highly theoretical, politically reflexive, and most of the time defiant and belligerent critical essays that sadly elicited from his contemporaries not similarly theoretical ripostes but outright silence. This paper is an attempt to engage with Garcellano’s critical oeuvre by examining the following: his notion of the text (the object of literary analysis) vis-a-vis the formalist notion of the text, the writing style prevalent in his works, and the possibility that as a committed critic who has produced four books of criticism in his more than three decades of practice, a programmatic method of literary criticism could be derived from his critical project which could help guide the new generation of literary critics and even casual readers in their foray into the locus of literary production and interpretation.

Pre-employment background check: A review and research agenda

Research background: This review paper is about the pre-employment background check by the human resources of the desired job candidates for the offered job. Pre-employment background check is a crucial part for the final selection of the right candidate. Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to evaluate one of the important functions of human resource management, pre-employment background checks (PBC) based on the existing available literature. This will be achieved by conducting a critical literature review in the context of its definition, needs, processes, and limitations, presented in a simple and narrative manner. Methods: Methods such as synthesis, comparison, deduction, and systematic-analytical examination of scientific articles were used in the preparation of the article. Primary literary sources on the given topic were searched in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The data collection period focused on the years 2000 to 2024. Findings & Value added: Although the process of background check for the job candidates can be conducted at any stage of their employment history, PBC is an important step as the final part of selection process. According to the literature, PBC is an imperative step for the employers in the selection process to get a clean employee reducing the chances of future accusation of negligent hiring. Although being an important step of the selection process, this area of HRM is comparatively under-researched. Therefore, this paper with enriched information about PBC can benefit multiple stakeholders such as employers, employees, researchers and independent hiring agencies.

RADIO PLAYS AS A SPECIAL GENRE IN THE WORK OF E. JELINEK

Background. The works of the modern Austrian writer, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature, Elfriede Jelinek, has been widely studied in domestic and foreign literary studies. However, the author is known not only as a talented novelist and playwright, but also as a public figure who always openly expresses his own point of view on topical and controversial issues and events of today's era. The rebellious nature of E. Jelinek does not allow her to remain at the level of describing existing flaws and vices exclusively in literary texts. Since the 70s and up to the present, she has been actively criticizing the values existing in society on the radio, writing radio plays, in which she expresses her active civic position. Purpose. To analyze the most famous radio plays by E. Elinek of the early period and highlight their main themes and stylistic features of the text, allowing to realize the intention of the author. Materials and methods. The main research methods are the analysis of scientific literature by Russian and foreign scientists investigating the peculiarities of the artistic world of E. Jelinek, contextual analysis of continuous sampling, analysis of text fragments of radio plays. Research results. In the course of the study, radio plays from 1972-78 were analyzed. The main themes are the destruction of myths of modern society, formed by mass culture, social and gender inequality in society and the oppression of women. In the plays, Jelinek uses collage-editing and inset techniques, wordplay, transformed quotes to create irony and absurdity of everyday situations. Despite the fact that the work of E. Jelinek has been widely studied by literary critics around the world for more than fifty years, early radio plays without a printed version clearly do not have such potential due to the fact that they have not been translated into foreign languages and are closely linked to the cultural and social context of Austria in the 1970s. Practical implications. The results obtained can be used in the study of E. Jelinek's work, when reading Austrian fiction for its deeper interpretation, as well as when teaching students German as a foreign language.

The Female Experience in the Mayor of Casterbridge: A Feminist Critical Analysis

This study aims to examine Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge from a feminist viewpoint. It examines how women are portrayed in the novel, focusing on their independence and how society's expectations and gender roles affect their lives. The study closely analyzes the text, using feminist literary criticism to understand the characters, their relationships, and the overall social context of the novel. The analysis explores feminist themes such as women's independence, the impact of societal expectations, and the consequences of a patriarchal society. It compares how male and female characters are presented in the novel and examines the role of marriage as a social institution. The study critiques the oppressive power structures of Victorian society and shows how the novel challenges traditional gender roles. The findings reveal that women in the novel face significant limitations imposed by a male-dominated society. Characters like Susan Henchard demonstrate the harmful effects of rigid gender roles and limited opportunities for women. Lucetta Templeman's story highlights the challenges women encounter when seeking freedom and independence in a conservative world. However, the study also identifies instances where female characters show strength and resilience despite societal pressures. Overall, this study argues that The Mayor of Casterbridge offers valuable insights into the struggles and potential of women in a patriarchal society. By examining the female characters, their experiences, and the broader social context, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of Hardy's work and its importance in feminist literature

Exploring Aviation Accidents and Related Costs: A Critical Literature Review across Global and Greek Skies

Safety has a direct impact on the economic policy of an organization, especially when it concerns critical sectors such as military, commercial, and general aviation. It is apparent that such organizations prioritize aviation safety with great attention since even a single accident can cost not only human lives but also the financial survival of the respective company (Chance & Ferris, 1987). According to data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the rate of accidents per 100,000 flight hours for U.S. air carriers has significantly declined over time, dropping from 1.77 in 1965 to 0.20 in 1990, and further decreasing to 0.13 in 2020 (NTSB, 2021). Also, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) revealed a significant decline in airline passenger fatalities by considering the total number of passengers boardings. Specifically, this rate stood at one fatality for every 7.9 million passenger boardings in 2020, which is a notable improvement from one fatality per 2.7 million boardings between 1998 and 2007. Looking further back in history, the risk of fatality for commercial airline passengers was one death per 750,000 boardings during the period of 1978-1987 and one death per 350,000 boardings between 1968 and 1977 (Barnett, 2020). Nevertheless, despite aviation is currently safer than ever, accidents still occur globally. In this context, and by drawing on the literature, a critical review is conducted so as to analyze the financial consequences of aviation accidents and explore accident rates globally. Also, a special focus on Greece is attempted to facilitate comparison between worldwide and national accident rates. The aforementioned goals were pursued by discriminating between military, commercial and general aviation in order to pinpoint differences between these sectors. It is envisaged that through this process, additional knowledge will be built regarding the accident cost in aviation. By acknowledging that diagnosis is the initial response to overcoming challenges, it is envisioned that analyzing the current accident rates and costs will aid in the development of more advanced mitigation strategies aimed at safety optimization. Keywords: Transportation Safety, Aviation Industry, Cost Analysis, Regulation.

THE RATIONALIST SOLUTIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPLEXITIES IN THE WORKS "TRUE FRIEND", "DAINTY STRINGS", "ZAZUNYAN" BY NAR-DOS (DEDICATED TO THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF NAR-DOS)

The aim of this publication is to provide a fresh perspective on the analysis and evaluation of Nar-Dos's aforementioned novels. Previous literary critiques have often skimmed the surface, offering only ideological and cognitive summaries. Notably, all of Nar-Dos' works dealing with the theme of love, the conflict between reason (faith, religion, morality, public opinion) and nature (feeling and desire) is prominent. In these novels, the author delves into various moral and psychological phenomena where rationalist solutions play a pivotal role. In general, a person always avoids a test throughout his life, but the presence of a test gives a person two choices: either to overcome it, or to perish on its way. Nar-Dos leads his heroes, given to the waves of sinful love, on a difficult path of "overcoming" the test, the end point of which is marked by an inner awakening. Here it is evident that the great awakening is preceded by the compulsion to meet the test. It is noteworthy that if in the works "True Friend" and "Dainty Strings" conscious self-sacrifice turns into an ideological solution, then in the novel "Zazunyan" this conscious self-sacrifice is perceived as self-sacrifice. Regardless of the gender difference, the same psychology and suffering is manifested. on the one hand - a sudden intense and irresistible love, on the other - a beloved family. Through this examination, it becomes evident that sinful love, arising as sudden passion and challenging reason and morality, cannot prevail without both spiritual and physical fusion. Regardless of its tenacity, it ultimately yields to reason, demonstrating the triumph of intellect over primal instincts.

Ethical Choice and Melancholy: Lady Macbeth in Her Dreams

Despite the large body of literature on Lady Macbeth, little research has been undertaken to demonstrate the relationship between the invocation by Lady Macbeth in the first act and the final dreams that imprison her. From the perspectives of literary ethical criticism and Early Modern dream theories, this essay argues that the sleep-walking scene in the final act reveals the ethical predicament and the punishment suffered by Lady Macbeth, while the invocation, instead of serving merely as exaggerating rhetoric or performance of witchcraft, indicates Lady Macbeth’s ethical choice and her self-hypnosis that finally lead to the punishment. The causal relation between the invocation and the dreams is built up via a series of somatic changes brought by melancholy, through which William Shakespeare demonstrates to the audience the interaction between body and mind, and the inescapable consequence entailed by the wrong ethical choice.

Ross Wilson. Critical Forms: Forms of Literary Criticism, 1750-2020

Ross Wilson. <i>Critical Forms: Forms of Literary Criticism, 1750-2020</i>

As pesquisas acadêmicas sobre cartas de autore(a)s da Literatura Brasileira – O Estado da Arte

In the past few years, readers' interest on intimate genres has significantly increased: diaries, autobiographies, confessions, memoirs and letters, mainly because they provide information more related to the life of a real character in history, an artist, a writer. Researchers and literary critics have used this instrument as support for various analyses. Considering this recent trend in Brazilian literary criticism, the present work aims to make a survey, a State of the Art, of the last 10 years (2014 to 2024), of research involving the letters of author(s) of Brazilian literature, in an attempt to show whether these studies are viable and whether they are being carried out in academia and published in journals; what are the most recurring themes, which authors are most accessed, what are the most found results, how important is this research for the general public. With this State of the Art, it is also intended to provide a general overview that contributes to the advancement and development of themes that may arise from a letter.

Ամերիկյան նեոռոմանտիզմի առաջացման նախադրյալները

The existence of "neo-romanticism" as a literary movement has found its significant response mainly in English, and also in French, Russian and other literatures, while the problem of American neo-romanticism continues to be relevant in the framework of modern literary criticism. As a result of numerous researches and studies, it is possible to give unique examples that justify the possibility of existence of neo-romanticism in American literature. Now, our research has searched, found and revealed the origins of American neo-romantic literature. In S. Thomson's and J. London's animalistic works and prose the reflection of the process of formation and development of the aesthetics of American neo-romanticism has multiple and multi-content manifestations, justifying the conceptual provisions of American neo-romanticism as an independent stream of literature.

Deconstructing the Gender Stereotypes of the Villainess in Dan Brown’s Inferno

This study intends to contribute to the existing research about modern female villains by delving deeper into the ways that represent the stereotypical pattern in film and literature. This article examines Sienna Brooks, the primary antagonist in Dan Brown’s novel Inferno and its film version. She was Bertrand Zobrist’s lover and resolved to finish his work by unleashing his Inferno virus on humanity. Vis-à-vis, articulating feminist momentum through Sienna’s antagonism to the hero highlights the boundaries of binary oppositions, challenging literary critics and questioning gender bias in literature. Female villains have empowered characters because they are often multidimensional, stronger, and more complex than female heroines, instrumental to the story’s narrative. Brown’s block characterisations make inferences about Sienna Brooks both explicitly and implicitly, replicating Sienna’s thinking style or how she thinks about the world in her mind. The conceptual portrayal of the feminine villain narrative reflects the evolving role of women in plot construction, highlighting the need for nuanced and equitable gender representation in movies.

Тело как медицинский объект в романе «Солнечная» Й. Макьюэна

The purpose of the article is to identify the features of the medicalization of discourse, in particular in the perception of the body as a medical object in the novel “Solar ” by I. McEwan. The article traces the peculiarities of the transformation of the human body into a medical object through the use of a large number of medical terms. The main aspects of the novel’s problematics, that are associated with the medicalization of discourse, are highlighted. It is found that in the literary sphere, in this context, the discussion of human vulnerability, the specifics of the course of their physical and mental processes are brought to the fore. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that in this article, for the first time in Russian literary criticism, a systematic consideration of the features of the medicalization of discourse is proposed on the example of the novel “Solar ” by I. McEwan. Taking into account the lack of work on the study of the medicalization of discourse in modern foreign literature, we believe that this study is timely. As a result, it’s proved that the perception of the body as a medical object takes place under the conditions of medicalization of discourse, which involves the study of the human condition within the framework of scientific discourse as a medical problem. A new way of describing a character has been discovered – primarily through the body as a physiological object. Due to the excessive fixation of the protagonist on his own physiology, the emphasis shifts from personal experiences to manifestations of the body, thus alienating the character from the Other and the surrounding environment.

ABSURDIST TECHNIQUES OF REPRESENTATION OF THE AUTHOR’S POSITION (N. VERYOVOCHKIN “GOGOL’S SKULL”)

In the present study, in the light of psychological theories, the methods of expressing the writer’sposition and absurdist methods that express it are examined; the notion of the inseparability of the writerfrom the artistic whole is realized. An effort is made to explain these kinds of ways of conveying the writer’sopinion such as the title and inter-textual inclusions from the perspective of Freudian teachings about the twomain energies of man – Eros and Thanatos. The usefulness of the poetics of the absurd as a representation ofthe notion of confusion and absurdity is analyzed, which enables a further examination of the format of thecharacter’s mental condition in the work. Based on the works of Kazakh and foreign literary critics, it is provedthat the expression of the author’s position and the characterization of the character series correlate with themanifestation of the author’s unconscious, psychological trauma and defense mechanisms. A thorough approachconfirmed the theoretical importance of the study to studying the expressions of the author’s viewpoint in thelight of the theories of traditional literary criticism and psychoanalytic approaches. The novelty of the study isdetermined by the fact that for the first time in the story “Gogol’s Skull” by N. Verevochkin, the poetics of theabsurd and the forms of expressing the author’s position in the psychoanalytic aspect were considered.