Svět Literatury (Apr 2015)
Topos města v románech Gómeze de la Serny. Mezi kosmopolitismem a tradicí // The topos of the city in Ramón Gómez de la Serna. Between cosmopolitism and tradition
Abstract
This article deals with the role of the literary topos of the city and its importance in the Ramón Gómez de la Serna’s novels. According to the Daniela Hodrová’s typology we attempt to demonstrate, through the analysis of some novels, that the Serna’s city is specified as “the city-subjec”. The author personifies the city and he fuses the soul of novel’s heroes with the local atmosphere. The protagonists are united themselves with the place and ambient, that are influenced by its attitude and the personality. We distinguished two main conceptions of the city in Serna’s works: “a modern city” and “a city-refugium” and their modalities. The modern city is characterized by its ambivalence: it offers an attractive and adventurous modern lifestyle, on the other hand it shows an existential chaos and dehumanization. As opposed to the topos of “the modern city” appears the topos of “the city-refugium” characterized by the historical memory and mythical tradition.
