Verbal representation of monster’s image in works for children of modern Ukrainian authors

Abstract

The article investigates the peculiarities of the linguistic representation of monster image in modern Ukrainian children’s literature. The literary discourse of fear and monster image is presented. From the communicative-pragmatic point of view, the traditional, usual images of monster, in particular Babay and Chupacabra, are compared with their counterparts from the works of such popular Ukrainian writers. New images of the monster, the appearance of which was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, are characterized. The purpose of the article is to investigate the peculiarities of the linguistic representation of the image of monster in modern Ukrainian children’s literature. The following research methods were used: linguistic observation and description of language phenomena; method of decoding an artistic text, analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, as well as the method of continuous sampling. It is established that in the works for children of modern Ukrainian authors the image of a fearless, good monster is gaining popularity, which testifies to the tendency to improve traditional negative images. To create «updated» images of monsters, writers use a range of language tools and stylistic devices. The individual author’s onyms for monster and occasional sign tokens are particularly expressive, which appear during the creation of these images. It is observed that the image of monster in children’s works implements a number of pragmatic functions: cognitive (acquisition and assimilation of knowledge about the world (about the world of things; about the world of human relations); developmental (enrichment of the child’s vocabulary, formation of reading skills, development of imagination, critical / creative thinking, cognitive interest, etc.); educational (formation of basic moral principles, learning patterns of behavior, etc.); entertainment (enjoyment of artistic communication). The study of the usual and occasional in the linguistic representation of fear and monster in the works for children of modern Ukrainian writers complemented the knowledge about the connection of the writer’s worldview with the works’ language and with the national linguistic picture of the world.