Fantasy Hero as a Linguocultural Character Type: Feauters and Typology.
Keywords:
fantasy, hero, monomyth, linguocultural character type, warrior-hero, noble hero, small hero.Abstract
The article is dedicated to the research of a fantasy hero as a linguocultural character type, which embodies the cultural ideals of a society of a certain period, and connection of this kind of character with the ancient and medieval mythological archetypes. The author considers the definition of a fictional linguocultural character type as a recognizable image in the fantasy works, outlines the conceptual component of the “hero” character type, defines the general characteristics of the fantasy hero as the most common protagonist type occurring in such kind of texts as well as its linguistic features. Common peculiarities of the typical hero in the English-language fantasy texts include certain positive physical and personal characteristics which an average reader would prefer to possess, such as: physical (or magic) power, dexterity, external attractiveness, quickness of wit, readiness to self-sacrifice, kindness, charity, justice. According to such criteria as physical and personal features, motivation of actions and peculiarities of the hero's quest, the author differentiates three groups of typical English-language fantasy heroes: the warrior-hero, the noble hero and the small hero. The research is based on the material of popular American and British literary texts written in the 20th and 21st centuries, in particular the Conan series by R.E. Howard, “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit: or There and Back Again” by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Chronicles of Amber” by R. Zelazny, “The Song of Ice and Fire” by G.R.R. Martin, the “Forgotten Realms” series by R.A. Salvatore etc.
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