I. YAKOVLEV CHUVASH STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY BULLETIN

intertextuality, Bernhard Schlink, novel “The Granddaughter”, novel “The Late Life”

This article examines the problem of intertextuality in the latest novels by German writer Bernhard Schlink, “The Granddaughter” (2021) and “The Late Life” (2023). The research aims to identify the techniques and functions of intertextual connections in these works. The methodology includes intertextual analysis, comparative, historical-etymological, and interpretative approaches. The study adopts a “narrow” approach of intertextuality (U. Broich, M. Pfister), which assumes that the author consciously employs and marks intertextual elements for effective communication with the reader. The research focuses on quotations, allusions – including allusive names – reminiscences, and incorporated texts. Biblical allusive names such as Сaspar (“The Granddaughter”) and David, Martin’s son (“The Late Life”), shape the main characters’ images and life beliefs. Сaspar represents the guardian of European humanist traditions, while the terminally ill Martin is continued in David. The intertextual field of “The Granddaughter” is densely packed with references to German, Russian, and world classical literature. Caspar’s “library” serves as both his worldview foundation and a tool in his polemic with Sigrun. In “The Late Life”, singular references to German, children’s and classical literature reveal Martin’s internal development. The “text within text” technique is especially important in “The Late Life”: fragments of the Martin’s letter convey Schlink’s own philosophical reflections. The conclusions emphasize the marked and humanistically oriented nature of intertextuality in both novels.

Maksimycheva, Marina Sergeevna – Candidate of Philosophy, Associate Professor of the Department of Russian and Chuvash Philology and Culturology, I. Yakovlev CHSPU, Cheboksary, Russia, https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9159-8376, max-marina01@yandex.ru