Accents and Paradoxes of Modern Philology

DOUBLE PERSONALITY AND CRIMINAL ACTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ADVERSARY AND THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD

Jérôme CONSTANTIN — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 17:34:39 +0000

At first glance, little seems to connect The Adversary, Emmanuel Carrère's investigation into the true story of Jean-Claude Romand, a pathological liar who murdered his entire family in 1993, and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, a classic of fantastic literature written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1927. Yet both tell the same story: that of a slow dispossession of self by an alter ego that leads to murder.

Both narratives are structured like reports and present these stories of split personalities with detective-like rigor. Yet, the heart of their subject seems to defy all rationality: the irruption of the inexplicable, the Adversary, defined by Emmanuel Carrère as the "devil"— an ambiguous term that could refer to a religious concept or a metaphor for the inner demon.

In both cases, the protagonist feels alienated from the atrocities of which he is accused, as if these had been perpetrated by an Other. To what extent do the authors of these two narratives exonerate or acknowledge their characters' guilt for the crimes of their doubles?

LINGUISTIC FEATURES OF LOVERS’ SPEECH IN CONTEMPORARY GERMAN-LANGUAGE FICTION

Viktoriia DZIUBENKO, Nataliia ONISHCHENKO — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 18:22:10 +0000

The discourse of lovers in contemporary German-language literary texts is a complex linguistic phenomenon that integrates cognitive, pragmatic, stylistic, and cultural aspects. This study examines semantic, syntactic, and stylistic features of romantic communication based on three modern German novels: Tschick by Wolfgang Herrndorf (2010), Allegro Pastell by Leif Randt (2020), and Das Leben fing im Sommer an by Christoph Kramer (2025).

The aim of the research is to identify linguistic features that shape lovers’ discourse and to analyze their pragmatic functions and expressive potential. The objectives include a theoretical overview of discourse studies, classification of romantic discourse within personal dialogic interaction, conceptualization of love in literary context, and analysis of lexical, syntactic, and stylistic patterns in lovers’ speech.

The theoretical framework combines cognitive-discursive, sociolinguistic, and pragmatic approaches. The methodology includes content analysis, lexical-semantic, syntactic and stylistic analysis, and comparative textual study.

The study identifies typical linguistic devices of romantic discourse: emotionally charged vocabulary, idioms, metaphors, syntactic fragmentation (ellipsis, repetition, exclamations), stylistic techniques (irony, language play, affectionate diminutives). These elements model intimacy, spontaneity, and emotional depth in character interaction. The research also emphasizes the interplay between verbal and nonverbal communication and the cultural specificity of linguistic expressions of love.

The results may be useful for further studies in discourse analysis, literary linguistics, and translation studies.

BASIC LINGUISTIC TERMS IN ENGLISH STUDIES. THEIR FUNCTIONAL-SEMANTIC CATEGORIES AND PATTERNS OF FUNCTIONING

Serhii LIASHENKO — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 18:40:01 +0000

English metalanguage as a system of linguistic terms represents an extremely complex and multi-level structure that has been formed over many centuries of linguistic science development. The metalinguistic system of English studies is characterized by a clear hierarchical organization and logical interrelationships between terminological units at different levels of the language system. The morphological system of the English language is characterized by a complex organization and multi-level structure, which is reflected in a ramified system of terms. The linguistic terminology of English morphology was formed over a long historical period under the influence of various linguistic traditions and schools, which determined its uniqueness and complexity.

The morphemic structure of words in English is described by a system of terms that reflect different types of morphemes and their functions. The basic unit of morphemic analysis is the root morpheme, which carries the main lexical meaning of the word and is characterized by relative independence. Affixal morphemes are divided into prefixes, which are attached before the root morpheme, and suffixes, which follow it. Inflectional morphemes express the grammatical meaning of a word and usually occupy the final position.

VOICING THE UNSPEAKABLE: LINGUISTIC DISRUPTIONS AND FEMININE SUBJECTIVITY IN CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH FICTION

Nataliia LUKIANENKO — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 18:50:56 +0000

This article investigates the nexus between linguistic experimentation and the articulation of feminine subjectivity in contemporary English fiction. In a critical landscape shaped by poststructuralist and feminist theories, language is no longer viewed as a transparent medium but as a contested site where identity, power, and meaning are continually negotiated. Drawing upon the works of Jeanette Winterson, Angela Carter, Ali Smith, and Deborah Levy, this study explores how these authors deploy linguistic disruptions—fragmented syntax, silence, ambiguity, and corporeal metaphors—to articulate what Hélène Cixous terms écriture féminine. Through close textual analysis framed by the theoretical insights of Cixous, Kristeva, Butler, and Derrida, the article demonstrates how the breakdown of conventional narrative structures becomes a mode of resistance against logocentric and patriarchal discourses. In destabilising traditional forms of representation, these writers foreground the body, the unspeakable, and the multiplicity of feminine experience. Furthermore, the role of the reader emerges as co-creator of meaning in texts that refuse closure and linear coherence. Ultimately, this article argues that linguistic innovation in these fictions is not merely stylistic but profoundly political and ontological, enabling the emergence of marginalised voices within and beyond the text.

JAUME CABRÉ. THE STORY OF ONE VIOLIN IN HIS WORK JO CONFESSO

Alina PASHKOVA — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:03:34 +0000

This article presents the work of the Catalan writer Jaume Cabré, who was born in Barcelona. Cabré wrote his books in Catalan even in the 1970s, during the regime of Francisco Franco (1892-1975), which eradicated all differences. Writing in his native language was a principle for Cabré, although he did not condemn his fellow Catalans who chose Spanish. His novel “Confessions” is a novel to which the writer dedicated eight years, and it is his greatest international success. The main character of “Confessions” is Adria Ardevol, the son of a cruel Barcelona antique collector, and the plot revolves around an exceptional violin, the jewel of his father’s collection. “Confessions” spans centuries and concerns over a hundred characters, some of whom do not hesitate to imitate one another. A subject that interests Cabré as much as the question of the nature of evil, and which in a way counteracts it, is creativity. In his novels, people play music, learn languages and write books, talk about art, see salvation (or not) in it, are deceived, disappointed, and then find hope again thanks to art. The main thing in art is the consolation of beauty, as conveyed in “Confessions”, when he describes the playing of two violins, the sounds of which fill the house with such melancholy that one begins to think of another chance in this life, as if one could start over. Perhaps this is Cabré’s answer to the problem of evil in humans. If it is inherent in our nature, and we are doomed to live in a world where there is so much of it, there is no other choice but to understand it through art and Cabré himself works tirelessly in this field.

DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL COMPETENCE OF THE LECTURER IN THE CONTEXT OF PROMOTING ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

Khrystyna TRACH, Anastasiia VAKULENKO — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:33:35 +0000

The article is focused on analysing the development of digital competences of lecturers in the context of popularising their scientific activities. The contemporary tendencies in the digitalization of education and scientific communications that impact the academic activities of lecturers are analysed. Particular attention is paid to digital platforms and social networks that facilitate the dissemination of scientific research and ensure effective communication with colleagues and students. It is determined that the extensive use of digital resources contributes to increasing the visibility of scientific research and significantly expands opportunities for international cooperation and involvement of new partners in scientific activities. Moreover, the importance of social networks as a tool for enhancing communication between researchers is emphasised, which allows to create new forms of scientific cooperation and popularisation of scientific achievements. Meanwhile, the potential risks associated with the use of digital platforms are analyzed, in particular, high demand for audience attention, potential manipulation of information and data security issues. Developing digital competencies is a prerequisite for ensuring high competitiveness of lecturers in the labour market, as well as for effective research activities in an academic environment where digital technologies are at the forefront. Besides, the study offers an overview of the positive aspects of the active use of digital platforms and social networks to promote and disseminate scientific achievements, including the aforementioned expansion of professional opportunities for lecturers, establishment and improvement of communication with students and colleagues, and general increase of scientific work visibility.

The results of the research among lecturers prove a high level of awareness of the importance of digital tools in research and their intensive use in practice. The main tools actively used are publication platforms and social networks, although some difficulties related to lack of time, data security issues, and the necessity for additional training were also revealed.

The effective usage of digital technologies requires supporting lecturers by providing them with supplementary digital literacy courses and access to innovative digital tools to facilitate the integration of digital competencies into their professional activities.

THE INFLUENCE OF FRENCH ROMANTIC THEATRE ON ÉRIC-EMMANUEL SCHMITT'S DRAMATURGY IN THE PLAY LE BOULEVARD DU CRIME

Olha VASYLIEVA — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:57:35 +0000

The article explores the influence of French Romantic theatre on the dramaturgy of ÉricEmmanuel Schmitt, focusing primarily on his play Frédérick ou le Boulevard du Crime. The study traces how the playwright combines the traditions of the nineteenth century with the aesthetics of modern philosophical theatre, creating a space where art becomes a means of self-discovery. At the centre of the analysis is Frédérick Lemaître — an actor and romantic rebel who also becomes a victim of his own passion for acting. Through this character, Schmitt reveals the main features of Romantic poetics: improvisation, contrast, and the inner conflict between ideal and reality.

The article highlights intertextual links with the dramas of Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and Alfred de Musset, where motifs of artistic freedom, individuality, and resistance to social conventions are clearly visible. The melodramatic nature of the play is emphasized — it merges irony, sincerity, and philosophical reflection. Schmitt’s work is both a hymn to the theatre and a confession of the artist who seeks himself amid roles, transformations, and doubts.

Frédérick ou le Boulevard du Crime thus appears as a poetic bridge between Romanticism and modernity, between historical memory, spiritual experience, and the living energy of art.