Книжка-2

Table of Contents: Issue 2, 2025 - Bulgarian, English

If we view literature and law as different spheres of language usage or classify them as different “language games” (Ludwig Wittgenstein), we would probably jump to the conclusion that they cannot explain each other. Despite the different conventions of law and literature, however, the two have been inextricably linked since ancient times and sometimes in complex and mediated ways. Poetry and legal proceedings have common rhetorical roots from a time when both were public attractions. Law and literature have been opposed in social and historical aspect multiple times. A number of lawsuits have been organized against certain literary works; lists of “banned books“ were prepared. There are also literary representations of fictional trials and laws, of fictional states with sinister or absurd legislation. The field of critical theory also contains both oppositions and examples of agreement between the two fields. The issue of the journal is being prepared in partnership with the seminar "Literature and Law" of the "Ethical Studies Section", Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at BAS and the "Faculty of Slavic Studies", Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

The article addresses two main issues. The first one relates to the narrative techniques of “outsideness” (Bachtin’s вненаходимость/vnenakhodimost’) and the ability of literature to penetrate the characters’ otherwise inscrutable inner meaning and make it accessible to comprehension. The second analyzed question brings attention to the “opaque” modern institutions and the institutional roles into which they place individuals. The study argues that, in the Bulgarian context, literary representations of institutional roles remain populist and simplistic. Furthermore, it highlights how emerging Bulgarian literature cannot cope with the formalized meaning of the modern institutional system in the country. The examples are literary depictions of the court, the judicial system, and the judicial roles from the period 1880 – 1905.

The article aims to clarify the relationship between the social functions of the Casus and the Сomedy. The former arises at that stage of human development when fixed norms of social behavior emerge, carrying with them the ideas of justice and personal responsibility. Its social function is to problematize assessments of existence, contrasting several norms against which life events are evaluated. The task of the comedy is very similar, as it seeks a way to restore correctness and justice, exposing the falsehood of the values in which people sometimes believe. Thus, a casus becomes a structural foundation of comedic action. The analysis of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” provides a clear example of the mechanism for implementing the interaction between a Casus and a comedic plot.

The article analyses the theme of return and the figure of the circle in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” showing that through them the author describes both the play itself and the principle at work at the basis of law. The plot with the three caskets is interpreted as a form of self-modelling of the literary work, where the silver casket with its inscription (“Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves”) serves as an allegory of the compositional choices made in the comedy. The article also focuses on the question of the doubles, which is in contrast with the logic of return. In the study, two kinds of doubling are distinguished. On the one hand, doubling is interpreted in the sense of redoubling and splitting. On the other hand, it is understood as an element introducing non-coincidence and non-identity of the circle with itself.

The article focuses on the provocative thematization of forgiveness in Shakespeare’s final completed play. Interpreting the fractures and tensions of the main character, the study employs some of Jacques Derrida’s key ideas on the problem of forgiveness. The close reading of Prospero’s position within the economy of power and desire in “The Tempest” also outlines a conceptual field where legal theory, literature, and Lacanian psychoanalysis are intertwined. Their productive encounter discloses certain (non)written structures that regulate and direct a subject’s desire and social relations. In light of modern-day collapse of these matrices and their symbolic order, the article is a conceptual wager to resist their disappearance, albeit from a seemingly distant point of view.

The article is a critique of the Bulgarian translation of the novel “Apostoloff”, focusing on its deviations that significantly distort the original text. The consequences of this distortion are examined. Moreover, the question is raised of what responsibility the translator might bear. The public convention of transparent translation is problematized as well.

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the translation of realia as a means of expressing a specific regional or national identity of a contemporary work of art in the light of the requirement for equivalence and adequacy of a translation of an artistic text. The research presents the concept of adequacy, lexical, semantic, and functional equivalence of the translation with an emphasis on the case of realia, which should be understood and become acceptable in a different culture. The article examines several examples from the translation of the novel “Time Shelter” by Georgy Gospodinov into Czech and Polish. The analysis outlines the various transformations and strategies adopted by the translators in their target language.

This article is a comparative analysis of “The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe and “The Wonderful Magician” by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. The aim is to demonstrate how the main theme of the pact with the devil has served the two authors to construct the protagonists’ characters. The artists’ different ideological points of view, which their heroes reveal, are highlighted as well. The study shows that Calderon’s work affirms the idea of free will and the possibility of redemption, while Marlowe’s play leads to the conclusion that the fall results in inevitable damnation. Faustus, with its tragic boldness and doom, is a more complex and moving figure than the one of Cyprian, subject to an obvious moralizing intention. Both characters reflect the eternal clash in the human soul between the constraints of morality and desire.

This article asserts that the poetic intensity in Nezâmi’s “Haft Paykar” is obtained from the intertwining of the symbolic, the imaginary, and the real. The rhetoric of the active imagination, as it is employed in the epic poem, gives access to an imaginary world. The latter is presented as a realm of metaphysical images reflected by the senses. Moreover, it is depicted through mystical visionary narratives. The transition from the symbolic to the real implies a transformation of the being and the spirit. The symbol allows connection to another reality, as it refers to something beyond itself. In the present study, the relationship between the symbolic, the imaginary, and the real in “Haft Paykar” is examined from a psychoanalytic and, above all, Lacanian perspective.

The aim of this study is to examine the multifaceted elements present in Haruki Murakami’s novels, with a main focus on their philosophical underpinnings. In particular, the analysis of the recurring character known as the Sheep Man is at the center of attention. The latter, a fundamental and mysterious figure in Murakami’s literary universe, embodies a fusion of human and animal traits. He becomes a means for the search of identity and the exploration of other existential themes. In various novels, the Sheep Man acts as a guiding force for the other protagonists on their quests for self-discovery. This article sheds light on the elements of magical realism and symbolism, such as the Sheep Man’s fondness for doughnuts, that enrich the narrative and invite diverse interpretations. This research also delves into philosophical concepts like “Possible Worlds,” suggesting that Murakami’s narratives exist in a realm where the boundaries between different realities are blurred. Finally, the article shows that Murakami’s exploration of identity and self-discovery mirrors his protagonists’ self-journeys. At the same time, it reflects autobiographical aspects of the author himself. The use of magical realism allows Murakami to effectively convey these themes and captivate readers with thought-provoking narratives.

This study analyzes Kiana Davenport’s “Shark Dialogues” through postcolonial and ecocritical frameworks, exploring Hawaiian identity, cultural hybridity, and environmental stewardship. At its core is Aloha 'Āina – a philosophy of love and respect for the land – which serves as a foundation for cultural survival and resistance against colonial forces. The novel features hapa (mixed-ancestry) characters who challenge colonial narratives while reflecting the complexities of modern Hawaiian identity. These characters embody the tension between indigenous roots and foreign influences that shape contemporary Hawaiian culture. Davenport connects Hawaiian struggles to broader indigenous movements against ecological and cultural exploitation. This study argues that “Shark Dialogues” redefines Hawaiian identity by creating a framework that unites environmental sustainability with indigenous resistance. Reading on “Shark Dialogues” contributes to ecological justice and decolonization discussions in postcolonial contexts.

The review is devoted to the second part of “Bulgarian Literature of 21st Century (2020 ‒ 2022)” by Milena Kirova. The main thematic and genre fields of interest are highlighted, including migrant literature, the novel and poetry of the second decade of the 21st century, Bulgarian dystopia, etc. The potential of the monograph to favour future, more segmented and in-depth studies of Bulgarian literature from the period is also considered and discussed.