Uzbekistan state world languages university philology faculty department of practical disciplines

3. Main ideas and characters of the work
In our work, we will compare two works of late romantics at the following levels:
chronotope
main character system
plot-compositional level
level of motives and semantic oppositions
Chronotop
Chronotope is a concept introduced into the humanities by M.M. Bakhtin and meaning artistic space and artistic time, taken in their interaction with each other. In fact, these are the main coordinates that form the artistic world of the text of art.
In "The Mole" the action takes place: "in the last part of the last century" [p. 175], that is, for the author it means in the second half of the 18th century. Hawthorne points out what exactly this period in history was famous for, its global significance: electricity was discovered. The author describes the society of that time, its values: “it was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and absorbing energy” [p. 175]. People of that time believed in: "this degree of faith in man's ultimate control over nature" [p. 175]. You can see how the antithesis "Man - Nature" is set from the very beginning of the work. It was important for Nathaniel G. to give a description of artistic time in order to explain the subsequent actions of the characters, their motives. Thus, we have determined the general historical time, but now we will follow the internal time of this short story⁶.
Georgiana, Aylmer's wife, has had an unusual mole on her left cheek since childhood, and to describe the "fantastic" possibility of her appearance, the author takes us back to the birth that admirers of this beautiful woman talk about. The life of the girl before marriage can also be attributed to this past, because Aylmer at that time was not burdened by the existence of this very mole. Their marriage is a kind of threshold, after crossing which the husband begins to see in his wife the only flaw that haunts him. Another important moment in the artistic time of this short story is the mention of the Middle Ages, which, as a period in history, immediately refers us to something mysterious, gothic, magical (Giorgiana looked through books on alchemy). Just as this period was somewhat shrouded in mystery, so what happened to Aylmer was a mystery to Georgiana.
Also great is the role of time at the moment when the action of the elixir takes place. Aylmer sees that ill-fated mole disappear before his eyes as Georgiana slowly dies. At the same time, in equal proportion, the scientist achieves success, the perfection of his wife, who, in turn, gradually fades away. And the final words of the short story are key from the point of view of artistic time:
“The momentary circumstance was too strong for him; he failed to look beyond the shadowy scope of time, and, living once for all in eternity, to find the perfect future in the present" [p. 192]. The hero was so carried away by the pursuit of perfection that he lost the connection between the ideal future and the real present. He was never able to understand that perfection and eternity are revealed within reality and time, and not outside of them.
Artistic space is closely intertwined with artistic time in this work. The action takes place locally, but there are no exact indications of the area, nevertheless, this space can be called closed, because. the heroes are in their home. Quite an important place, in our opinion, is Aylmer's laboratory, since it was here that Georgiana was left for such an experiment. Her husband created a kind of vacuum for her, where sunlight did not penetrate, where there were only lamps (artificial lighting) and from which he did not allow her to go out. But Georgiana violated the ban, crossed the threshold of the laboratory - the boundary between spaces - and immediately got into the room where the stove was, where it was impossible hot and stuffy. This free movement brought her closer to her husband, who was so afraid to admit his concern about making the elixir. "The first thing that, hot fever was a worker, with fire, which they have the quantities of that and the quantities of their qualities for it" [p. 187] Such an environment is a kind of symbolic space: sulfur is associated with evil spirits, flame - with hell, "burning for ages" enhances this assimilation. Hawthorne, with the help of artistic space, wanted to convey the idea that whatever Aylmer and his servant Aminadab do, it will all refer to the infernal, evil beginning, since they create the elixir in essence in fiery hell. Aylmer wanted to be something like God, Creator Nature, and his pride is in this hell. Hawthorne's infernal images go back not only to the Bible, but also to a literary source - Goethe's Faust. The Faustian motif can be found not only in this short story, but also in Edgar Allan Poe's short story: the human mind is always looking for perfection at any cost.
In the short story "The Oval Portrait" by Edgar Allan Poe, we will also try to find the features of artistic space and time and analyze them. The very first word of this work is “castle”, which determines all subsequent developments. This building, which was most popular in the Middle Ages (Edgar Allan Poe refers to this era, like Hawthorne), in addition, the author makes an allusion to the gothic novels of Anna Radcliffe: “in the fancy of Mrs. Radcliffe" [p. 209], which together sets the reader up for an atmosphere of gothic, mystery, luxury. The artistic time of this short story is from the beginning of twilight until late at night. This timing is not accidental. Edgar Poe immerses the reader in a mystical setting, pumping it up with only artificial light: "to light the tongues of a tall candelabrum" [p. 209], closes all shutters, leaves the hero in the twilight of a dilapidated room. The artistic space is shrinking at times. The key moment in the continuation of the development of the plot is midnight. It was at this time that the hero changes the position of the candle, thereby from a different lighting it becomes possible to see a picture that was previously in the shade. "I thus saw in vivid light a picture all unnoticed before" [p. 210]. Another turning point is when the hero reads the description of this painting, which contains the story of its creation, which makes the artistic time turn into the past. Thus, Edgar Allan Poe introduces an insert novel into the narrative. “The cause of my deep agitation being thus shut from view, I sought eagerly the volume which discussed the paintings and their histories. Turning to the number which designated the oval portrait, I there read the vague and quaint words which follow. .." ⁷
If Hawthorne had Georgiana in his laboratory, then Poe had a beauty sitting in a high tower, where there was also no daylight, i.e. space is localized. As for artistic time, in this short story, like in Hawthorne, it slows down at the end of the story. A beautiful girl slowly dies while her husband lays down: "one brush upon the mouth and one tint upon the eye" [p. 213] on her portrait. With the help of time, Poe wanted to show how life slowly flows into death, and vice versa. At first glance, life and death seem to be mutually exclusive concepts, but, as we see, they become interconnected, complementary.
In "The Mole" by Hawthorne, the characters are a pair of lovers: Aylmer (Aylmer) and Georgiana (Georgiana). Georgiana is the feminine form of the name George. “Orge” means a person who works, does something, and “geo” means earth (from Greek), that is, her name means a farmer, a person tied to the earth, working on it. Therefore, Georgiana symbolizes the earthly beginning, earthly beauty, real. In the name Aylmer, the root ail stands out, which means (for example, in the word ailment) disaster, illness, trouble. The name tells us that its bearer causes pain or experiences it himself. Giving meaningful names to the heroes, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows that Georgiana is alive, she is from nature, from the earth, and Aylmer aspires to heights, to an unreal beauty that does not exist, but only earthly. Therefore, he destroys the earthly in her - a mole: "the visible mark of earthly imperfection" [p. 176],
He: "man of science" [p. 175], she: "a beautiful woman" [p. 175]. From the very beginning, two elements collide - Nature and Science: he "cleared his fine countenance from the furnace smoke, washed the stain of acids from his fingers, and persuaded a beautiful woman to become his wife" [p. 175]. Aylmer seemed to have removed all the evidence of his studies in science from his body and went towards the beautiful, that is, natural beauty and artificial beauty cannot exist simultaneously. Natural Beauty - Artificial Beauty - a derivative opposition from the opposition Nature - Science. Nathaniel Hawthorne emphasizes that: "it was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and absorbing energy"
Some time before the removal of the ill-fated mole, Aylmer shows his wife his various achievements in alchemy, in science, boasts of the possibility of possessing such gigantic power that can kill or revive a person. Georgiana looks at him: "with amazement and fear" [p. 183], she considers this a terrible achievement. Further events foreshadow the tragic outcome of this work. Aylmer shows her a flower whose leaves quickly turn black and turn to dust. He then suggests that a portrait be made of her: "by a scientific process of his own invention" [p. 183], but the result is horrific: “the features of the portrait blurred and indefinable; while the minute figure of a hand appeared where the cheek should have been" [p. 183]. Aylmer's failed attempt at art ends up in a jar of "corrosive acid" [p. 183]. Here we can draw a parallel with Poe's short story, in which the husband also creates a portrait of his wife. Men are so passionate about their activities (in the first case - science, in the second - art) that they cannot objectively see their beloved women, but only through the prism of their occupation, which destroys their chosen ones. The last moment, foreshadowing the death of the girl in the short story "The Mole", is Georgiana's realization that in all of Aylmer's previous successes there was a defeat, which means that this experiment is no exception. This is yet another proof of the weakness of man in comparison with Nature. but only through the prism of their occupation, which destroys their chosen ones. The last moment, foreshadowing the death of the girl in the short story "The Mole", is Georgiana's realization that in all of Aylmer's previous successes there was a defeat, which means that this experiment is no exception. This is yet another proof of the weakness of man in comparison with Nature. but only through the prism of their occupation, which destroys their chosen ones. The last moment, foreshadowing the death of the girl in the short story "The Mole", is Georgiana's realization that in all of Aylmer's previous successes there was a defeat, which means that this experiment is no exception. This is yet another proof of the weakness of man in comparison with Nature.
Hawthorne introduces another hero - Aminadaba, who is the personification of everything material. It was: "a man of low stature, but bulky frame" [p. 181]. He worked like a machine, did not realize the goals set, just mechanically performed everything that was required. "With his vast strength, his shaggy hair, his smoky aspect, and the indescribable earthiness that incrusted him, he seemed to represent man's physical nature" [p. 181]. This character appears just when Georgiana crosses the threshold of the laboratory and comes to the large furnace where Aminadab and Aylmer are working. The author contrasts the material, physical beginning with the spiritual, sublime.
The antitheses “woman - man”, “Nature - Science / Man” throughout the entire work were side by side with another one: “perfection - imperfection”. Georgiana was an incredibly beautiful woman, she was perfection for her husband and those around her. However, after her marriage, Aylmer began to think about her mole, which he called: "a slightest possible defect" [p. 176] and admitted: "the visible mark of earthly imperfection" [p. 176]. The thought of removing the birthmark became obsessive, and her husband's dissatisfaction with this flaw grew with incredible speed, and at the end of the work became so unbearable that Georgiana herself could no longer tolerate this visible sign of imperfection on her face.
If we consider the origin of this mole, then according to fans, "some fairy at her birth hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infant's cheek, and left this impress there in token of the magic endowments" [p. 176]. Nature has another image - a good sorceress. But not only Nature touched this magnificent woman. Her husband, busy and anxious at work, saw his wife on the threshold of his office, turned pale and "seized her arm with a gripe that left the print of his fingers upon it" [p. 188]. The world of science, the human world also wants to work miracles, but all its "wonderful" experiments end in defeat, that is, a person is not able to resist Nature. Describing a mole, the author again foreshadows what will happen to the girl. When it turns purple, blood flow increases, and the birthmark disappears, that is, you need to “shed” blood so that this mole disappears, and at the same time take her life. In this context, a birthmark, a mole is a symbol of life.
For Aylmer, Georgiana is perfection without a mole and imperfection with a mole. This "the fatal flaw" [p. 177] reminds him of "the ineludible gripe" [p. 177] is a symbol that: "his wife's liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death" [p. 177]. Again, the motives of life and death arise, which bring the protagonist to a state of invincible fear, cause the only desire - to make his beloved perfect, that is, to get rid of the fatal mark.
The mole removal experiment is not just the result of all his previous trials, but the result of his whole life. Having prepared the necessary elixir, Aylmer brought it to his wife, who, as if anticipating the closeness of the outcome, started talking about death and life, inwardly she was already ready for the end. As proof that this drink would heal her, her husband poured it into the ground where the flower grew: "with yellow blotches" [p. 189]. As you know, in the literature, the negative symbolism of yellow means withering, sadness, decay. Without long waiting, Georgiana drank the goblet of elixir, and over time, the mole began to lose its definition. Aylmer was in: "almost irrepressible ecstasy" [p. 191], while the woman was: "so pale!" [p. 191], he was truly happy, looking at the disappearance of a mole on his left cheek, at the fading of life, at the slow death of his wife. With her last breath, Aylmer reached his perfection, that: "the now perfect woman" [p. 191], only already dead.
Composition is the syntagmatic organization of plot elements.
Consider Hawthorne's The Mole. It begins with a description: "a man of science" [p. 175], what place he occupies in his environment. Hawthorne periodically includes author's digressions and characterizations in the narrative. Such an example is the following: "Such a union <...> was attended with truly remarkable consequences and a deeply impressive moral" [p. 175]. In this passage, N. Hawthorne gives his assessment of what is happening. Then we meet for the first time with a dialogue that helps us get to the heart of the matter, learn about the relationship between Aylmer and Georgiana. In the content of the very first dialogue, a conflict is declared: Aylmer is worried about his wife's mole, he offers to bring her together, to which Georgiana reacts sharply. Hawthorne then again uses the author's digression to clarify this situation: "To explain this conversation it must be mentioned that in the center of Georgiana's left cheek there was a singular mark" [p. 176]. To prove his words, the writer introduces the reader to the portrait of the main character. There is a "close-up" feeling when we get closer to her face and look at the mole on her left cheek. This technique was also used by Edgar Allan Poe in The Oval Portrait, which we will talk about a little later. An essential element of the composition in "The Mole" is the technique of flashback: "Georgiana's lovers were wont to say that <...> at her birth hour..." [p. 176]. It is important in order to show, on the one hand, how beautiful and at the same time imperfect Georgiana was, on the other hand, to determine the origin of this mole. It is rather mystical: "some fairy <...> had laid her tiny hand upon the infant's cheek, and left this impress there in token of the magic endowments” [p. 176]. That is, a mole is perceived as a gift, as a symbol of life. And here comes the motive of a miracle.
In the next dialogue with her husband, Georgiana was the first to speak of her gift. Here Hawthorne again resorts to the technique of flashback when Georgiana talks about the dream of the previous night. In the short story, the motif of sleep - a borderline state - repeatedly appears. It was common for romantics to put their heroes into such a state, for example, and in Edgar Allan Poe we can observe the main character who struggles with sleep. In our opinion, it is this remark, said in a dream by Aylmer: “It is in her heart now; we must have it out!" [p. 178] and will be the plot, because at this moment the hero clearly sets a task for himself, and in reality he already comprehends it and completely agrees with his inner impulse. Hawthorne also cites the author's thoughts on dreams: "The mind is in a sad state when Sleep, the all-involving, cannot confine her spectres within the dim region of her sway, but suffers them to break forth, affrighting this actual life with secrets that perchance belong to a deeper one" [p. 178].
After the couple decide to get rid of the ill-fated mole, the author sends the reader back to the time when Aylmer was doing research, "had investigate the secrets of the highest cloud-region and of the profoundest mines" [p. 180], "during his toilsome youth" [p. 180]. We believe that this technique is used to achieve two goals. Firstly, to form the image of the main character, to show how much he was passionate about science, his correlation with it. Second, to show that his labors led nowhere and that: “our great creative Mother shows us nothing but results” [p. 180], that is, Aylmer, an ordinary person, does not compete with Nature. Thus, this contradiction "Man - Nature" is supported, which manifests itself only in the image of Aylmer.
The climax, in our opinion, is the moment when after sleep (again the motive of sleep) the action of the elixir takes place. “Its presence had been awful; its departure was more awful still" [p. 191]. Here time slows down, tension rises, this painful and long “removal” of the mole takes place, which leads to a denouement: “the parting breath of the now perfect woman passed into the atmosphere” [p. 191]. Such a denouement is accompanied by the author's explanation, his attitude to what is happening through the description of Aminadab's reaction: "a hoarse, chuckling laugh was heard again" [p. 192]. Hawthorne says: "Thus ever does the gross fatality of earth exult in its invariable triumph over the immortal essence" [p. 192].
The composition of "The Mole" by Hawthorne is in many ways similar to the composition of "The Oval Portrait" by Poe. The last short story begins with a description of the castle, setting the mood of the story. The plot of the action, in our opinion, can be considered the place in the short story when the hero: "placed it so as to throw its rays more fully upon the book" [p. 210]. Thanks to such a play of light, a previously unseen picture appeared before the hero. Edgar Allan Poe seems to use the “close-up” technique, shading everything else, he focuses our attention on this subject. This is followed by a portrait description, which evokes very mixed feelings in the protagonist: on the one hand, the perfection of a work of art, on the other, the “deadness” of a woman. Po achieves the effect of lifelikeness, that is, this picture seems to have been born before the eyes of the protagonist. Not only Hawthorne, but Poe also uses the technique of retrospection, which in this case is also an insert novel. Turning point (turning point/ the beginning or rising action): "It was thus a terrible thing for this lady to hear the painter speak of his desire to portray even his young bride" [p.212].
Poe's compositional complexity lies in the fact that he introduces into the narrative such a plot element as a story within a story. Thus, the content is related to the form: the portrait has an oval shape, contains the image, and the story includes another story.

Conclusion

In our work, we examined the main provisions of the poetics and aesthetics of symbolism, distinguished between European and American symbolism, named the main representatives, as well as researchers who were engaged in this area.
In the course of the work, we solved the tasks set: we got acquainted with the research literature on European and American symbolism; came up with a working definition of symbolism; identified and established a common foundation - the poetics and aesthetics of symbolism, to which Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Poe belong; got acquainted with the biography of writers; determined that they belong to the mature stage of American symbolism and are at the junction of the eras of symbolism and realism; studied the specifics of their relationship with each other: the writers influenced each other (Poe used the idea of ​​a closed psychological space, which Hawthorne had previously addressed in his work; E. Poe also built his theory of short stories mainly on Hawthorne's short stories; like Edgar Poe, Hawthorne attached great importance to the ideological and emotional impact of art); determined the criteria, levels of the text, according to which the comparative analysis of the works was carried out: the chronotope, the system of images of the main characters, the plot-compositional level, the level of motives; carried out a comparative analysis of the short stories "The Mole" and "The Oval Portrait", during which we identified the following binary oppositions: "Real - Ideal", "Natural - Artificial", "Woman - Man", "Life - Death"; determined what the innovation of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe is: using composition, artistic time, images of the main characters, motives, writers destroy the main opposition "Real - Ideal", which is the core of the romantic dual world: the real is no longer opposed to the ideal, but forms a unity with it. The ideal is within the real, not outside or above it. according to which a comparative and comparative analysis of works was made: chronotope, system of images of the main characters, plot-compositional level, level of motives; carried out a comparative analysis of the short stories "The Mole" and "The Oval Portrait", during which we identified the following binary oppositions: "Real - Ideal", "Natural - Artificial", "Woman - Man", "Life - Death"; determined what the innovation of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe is: using composition, artistic time, images of the main characters, motives, writers destroy the main opposition "Real - Ideal", which is the core of the romantic dual world: the real is no longer opposed to the ideal, but forms a unity with it.