Irony and Contrast as Ways to Identify the Specifics of the National Character in the Novel ‘The Legend of NOMENCLATURA’ by D. Satpaev and E. Zhumagulov
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17072/2073-6681-2024-1-79-88Keywords:
satire; comic; national character; originality.Abstract
This study is the first to present a cross-cultural comparison of the specifics of the Kazakh and English national characters through comic perception. Kindness, observance of national traditions, humor, a certain strictness in behavior are integral qualities in the character of both the Kazakhs and Englishmen. The novel under study shows the modern life of the nomenklatura workers of Kazakhstan and a search for the ancient treatise NOMENCLATURA by the British, both depicted satirically in terms of the national and cultural specifics. The study employs the comparative method to analyze irony, the ironic, and the laughter contrast in the novel. These techniques highlight negative qualities such as greed, thirst for profit obtained through every possible means, the desire to deceive as an inherent part in the nature of the key characters – modern ministry workers such as B. Sumelekov, his uncle B. Arakbaev, B. Piyazov, and others. As to the British – Mr. Black and Mr. White – they strive to achieve results one way or another: experiencing ‘survival’ in an unfamiliar, exotic and deserted area (evening steppe), a trip to Almaty by train and, finally, a flight to Astana. And yet, despite all their adventures, they always try to save face, which allows the authors to make play with the stereotypes that appear among the British. The paper shows that the techniques of irony and contrast were used to create the work in a satirical-comic manner, which, in turn, demonstrates the difference between the national traditions of the Kazakhs and the British. The Kazakh national character is represented by an old shepherd who knows how to hold philosophical conversations in English, while the English are shown as the descendants of the valiant Templars. However, there is something in common between the former and the latter – this is the desire to adhere to the traditions of their people, a penchant for humor, joking at oneself, and tolerance.References
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