Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s  Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to  Better Future

Bohovyk Oksana; Bezrukov Andrii

doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

Research Article

DOI :10.26650/LITERA2021-901447 IUP :10.26650/LITERA2021-901447 Full Text (PDF)

Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future

In literary texts, the representation of symbols as one of the most prevalent and essential components of the cultural continuum is not always explicit and therefore needs the development of approaches to the identification of implicit symbolic narratives in fictional discourse. One of the most representative contemporary novels in terms of ‘symbolicalness’ is considered the epic novel Bridge of Clay (2018) by Markus Zusak. This breath-taking story revolves around the ‘ramshackle tragedy’ of the Dunbar family and brims with energy and pathos. The tale of an existential riddle is told inside out and back to front, rendering confusion to the readers and encouraging them to decipher various symbols. That is why this article focuses on literal and metaphorical symbols to trace their meaning-making capabilities in creating a perfect chaos in the book. The novelty of the study lies in the explication of the symbol as a hermeneutic intratextual mechanism of meaning-making and identifying its artistic potential, as well as interpreting the symbol as a way of comprehending the semantic sphere of the text. Furthermore, Bridge of Clay is a profoundly heartfelt story of brotherhood that offers an alternative model of masculinity. It is Clay, the most determined of the Dunbar sons, who builds the bridge to transcend humanness. It is the bridge, the central symbol of the novel, which appears to be a link between the past and the future.

Keywords: Meaning-making, time, pathos, chaos, relationship

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APA

Bohovyk, O., & Bezrukov, A. (2022). Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future. Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, 32(1), 267-294. https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

AMA

Bohovyk O, Bezrukov A. Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future. Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies. 2022;32(1):267-294. https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

ABNT

Bohovyk, O.; Bezrukov, A. Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future. Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, [Publisher Location], v. 32, n. 1, p. 267-294, 2022.

Chicago: Author-Date Style

Bohovyk, Oksana, and Andrii Bezrukov. 2022. “Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future.” Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies 32, no. 1: 267-294. https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

Chicago: Humanities Style

Bohovyk, Oksana, and Andrii Bezrukov. “Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future.” Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies 32, no. 1 (Dec. 2023): 267-294. https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

Harvard: Australian Style

Bohovyk, O & Bezrukov, A 2022, 'Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future', Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 267-294, viewed 2 Dec. 2023, https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

Harvard: Author-Date Style

Bohovyk, O. and Bezrukov, A. (2022) ‘Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future’, Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, 32(1), pp. 267-294. https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447 (2 Dec. 2023).

MLA

Bohovyk, Oksana, and Andrii Bezrukov. “Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future.” Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, vol. 32, no. 1, 2022, pp. 267-294. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

Vancouver

Bohovyk O, Bezrukov A. Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future. Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies [Internet]. 2 Dec. 2023 [cited 2 Dec. 2023];32(1):267-294. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447 doi: 10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

ISNAD

Bohovyk, Oksana - Bezrukov, Andrii. “Symbols of a Perfect Chaos in Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay: Through Traumatic Past to Better Future”. Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies 32/1 (Dec. 2023): 267-294. https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-901447

Volume 32, Issue 12022, P. 267-294

TIMELINE

Submitted	22.03.2021
Accepted	06.01.2022
Published Online	17.05.2022

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Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies