Ivasyuta O. Ethnocultural Chinese Symbolism and Lexico-Stylistic Means of its Realisation in English Literary Discourse (based on works by Pearl Buck)

The thesis provides a study of the Chinese symbolism in the novels by P. Buck an American bilingual writer. Symbol is a universal, interdisciplinary notion. As a linguistic unit, it is a folded sign characterised by its complex, metaphoric, image-bearing nature. In diachrony symbols penetrate the linguoculture, accumulating new meanings, notions and senses. In synchrony, symbols penetrate other cultures by enriching them, on the one hand, and getting modified under their influence, on the other. Structurally, a symbol as a semiotic unit, consists of different layers which relate to historically acquired meanings. Cultural component is a domineering one in its semantic structure. The anthropological approach makes the methodological foundation of the thesis. Three supplementary levels of analysing symbols comprise linguocultural, linguocognitive and linguopoetic. The linguocultural level is aimed at the study of Chinese symbolism per se, its characteristics, deviations and modifications. The linguocognitive level presupposes analysis of the correlation of symbols and concepts and modelling of conceptual symbolic fields. Within the linguopoetic analysis we investigate the contextual, stylistic and communicative potential of Chinese symbols.