Semantics of anthroponyms in S. Snegov’s novel “People as Gods”

Abstract

The article analyzes the central work of fiction by the famous Soviet science fiction writer of the second half of the 20th century, whose work was almost not considered in scientific works, and the problem of anthroponymy was not considered at all. The science fiction novel by S. Snegov “People as gods” served as the material for the study. Using contextual, mythological, structural-semantic and intertextual methods, an analysis was made of the proper names of the key characters in this work in order to better understand the author's intention. The protagonist's name, Eli, has an obvious connection with the biblical name El, which is found as a common and generic designation for God in various languages ​​and dialects of the Middle East. In addition, it is a direct reference to the title of the work, which contains the central question in the artistic system of the novel about man as a god-like being. The name of the protagonist's wife – Mary – is the English form of the Russian name Maria, which contains a high meaning, well understood by the Christian consciousness. In the complete absence of any external or internal similarity between the heroine of Snegov and the Virgin Mary, there is an associative connection between them: as a biologist, Mary is looking for ways to spread life on uninhabited planets. In addition, she is the mother of a boy named Astre, who in the novel is associated with the Person of the Gospel Savior. The semantics of the names of other characters also connects the ideological space of the work with the foundations of the Christian worldview. Thus, consideration of the names of the central characters gives the author the opportunity to show that the onomastic field in terms of anthroponyms is semantically connected with biblical motifs and plots. System analysis leads the author to the conclusion that anthroponyms in the novel create a special semantic space that contributes to a deep understanding of the author's intentions.