Dmytriieva I. Theoretical concepts and realities of artistic creation: movement, genre, author (on the basis of English language drama of the second half of the XX century)

In the dissertation, the network of three focal literature categories – literary movement, literary genre and the author of a literary writing is thoroughly investigated. Literary analysis of distinctive features of literary trends and authorial genre systems was delivered on the basis of the English drama of the second half of the twentieth century. Academic feedback upon literary movement concept and the author concept is analyzed in the theoretical and literary discourse. The etymology of a literary method concept and distinctive features of literary genre are specified and defined. Certain terminological inconsistency is observed in the definition of a literary movement concept. Views upon an author of a literary writing are utterly governed by ideas of the death and resurrection of an author. The author (creator of literary writing) is rehabilitated after after being attacked by confrontational theories of the death of the author and the principles of receptive aesthetics, thus consolidates his creative initiative initiative. This influence manifests itself in the interaction of the author with the main literature categories- literary movement and genre. Ukrainian theoretical and literary discourse provides a brief overview on the definition of a literary movement, foreign scholars reflect on its theoretical definition sporadically, highlighting its fragmentarily. The matter is associated with a literary method notion that used to be a determinant of a literary movement. Foreign literary review mention it only in relation to the concept of social realism. Above-mentioned reflections determine that literary method notion was not recognized neither in the western nor in contemporary Ukrainian literary criticism. It is established that genre category is a dynamic and mobile concept, rather than a monolithic and frozen scheme. The genre concept is always under the influence of authorial innovations, which shake the established framework of a traditional genre, thus gradually changing its form. A process like this is being intensified within the framework of postmodern discourse of plurality, and multiplicity of truths. Modern drama is becoming fulfilled with author experiments with genres that represent a variety of literary and non-literary synthesis. From a new point of view, such characteristics of literary trends as dynamism and beyond historicism are considered. The genre system of English drama, the theoretical foundations of its ways of formation are analyzed: New authorial genre definitions (stand-up-play, collage-play, palimpsest-play) are investigated. A new view on the plays of Samuel Beckett as a qualitatively new artistic variety was projected – minority art (dramaticule). His dramatic work is known for its unique techniques that result in genre diffusions. The evolution of the playwright’s creative style attests to the gradual trajectory of the transition from traditional understanding of drama to the refusal to think within the limits of generally accepted traditional framework of dramatic writing. Total reduction projects his creative progress to the interaction not only within the limits of different genres, but – other types of art or the spheres of human activity not related to art. Acute attention to geometric figures and mathematical logic leads to a combination of dramatic art with elements of mathematical aesthetics resulting in a new authorial genre. Therewith the refusal to use language and total silence attracts elements of pantomime and dance into the genre form. Playwright’s creative work moves from the linguistic foundation to the synthesis of drama, arts and non-artistic spheres. An amount of heterogeneous elements like this induces the analysis of such works at the level of broader generalizations. S. Beckett’s dramaticules become an indicator of minimalism and total reduction. The culmination of the dramatist's experiments is a chorded combination of two beginnings – music and fine arts. Under the principle of minority, these two artistic spheres are ranked first in the development of the action in the play, thus leaving the secondary place to the language. It is established that while developing and broadening his creative style the playwright deduced his work beyond the boundaries of dramatic art.