The Correlation of Concepts HUMAN BEING vs. ANIMAL in Julian Barnes’ Idiostyle

Abstract

The article focuses on the verbalization of the literary concept HUMAN BEING in the idiostyle of Julian Barnes. In the author’s fictional conceptual sphere human traits of character and social qualities are compared to the respective features of animals, which serves the ground for the concept HUMAN BEING in its correlation with the concept ANIMAL. As a result, the conceptual properties of the author’s concepts HUMAN BEING and ANIMAL reveal the author’s vision of a human being as a natural creature opposed to the representatives of animal world. The following oppositions of the conceptual properties have been singled out: ‘primitivism, low intelligence’ – ‘high level of development’, ‘cowardice’ – ‘bravery’, ‘scornful attitude to other creatures’ – ‘mutual respect among animals’, ‘unreliability’ – ‘honesty’, ‘excessive emotionality’ – ‘coolness’, ‘clumsiness’ – ‘grace’, ‘untidiness’ – ‘neatness’. The comparison of the conceptual properties of both concepts reveal the author’s ironic evaluation of the conceptualized phenomena.