Feminist discourse in the works of Iryna Wilde and Virginia Woolf (on the basis of the cycle of stories “Butterflies on the pins” and the novel “Mrs. Dalloway”)

Abstract

The article aims to reveal both common and specific concepts of feminist discourse in the prose works of Iryna Wilde and Virginia Woolf as the representatives of different national and sociocultural backgrounds. The subject of the research is the cycle of stories “Butterflies on the Pins” and the novel “Mrs. Dalloway” which are considered to be the most prominent in the creative biographies of both Ukrainian and Englishs writers. The research is based on theoretical and methodological studies in the field of comparative studies, feminist criticism, dialogism, etc. In the works of both writers a common impressionistic-psychological dominant reinforced by the aspect of  women's perception of the world is traced, in the plane of which the feminist intentions are implemented. The feminist component of I. Wilde’s and V. Woolf’s works is considered to be an integral element of the innovative orientations of the writers, which corresponds to the modernist paradigm and its concept of freedom of self-expression.

The feminist discourse of the prose works is actualized by the images of the main heroines belonging to different age groups, but combined with the spirit of eternal femininity penetrating the entire canvas of the texts. In the flow of thoughts and impressions of Darka Popovych and Clarissa Delloway, a common paradigm of the female vision of the world is revealed, in which joy changes into a sudden sorrow, enthusiasm — into a bitter disappointment. The heroines’ inner essence is actualized in the semantic field of the image of time, which is an important structural component of the figurative and semantic organization of the works. The manifestation of the vital concepts is regarded as a form of self-defense and a preventive measure aimed at preserving inner harmony and integrity. The psychological and behavioral paradigm of main heroines’ images is outlined in the love discourse, which is an important stage in the process of their acquisition of emotional and psychological experience. It is outlined that for Darka and Clarissa the most important is achieving authenticity and inner freedom as a necessary condition for free choice. The existential aspect of the writers` prose can be studied even further.