AXIOLOGY OF MATERNITY IN WOMEN’S PROSE IN THE DIASPORA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE XX CENTURY

Abstract

Purpose. Investigation of axiological markers of the phenomenon of motherhood in the structure of the concept of “woman” of women’s prose of the Ukrainian diaspora in the middle of the twentieth century.

Methods. The attempt to scientifically study the axiology of motherhood in diasporic women’s prose through requires the involvement of the principles, techniques and principles of literary studies, in particular: hermeneutics, which made it possible to interpret fiction texts in order to understand the integrity of being; the cultural and historical method that used to thoroughly cover the socio-political context in writers’ works; a descriptive one that made it possible to identify and characterize the main features of axiological dominants of motherhood in the structure of the concept of «woman»; elements of conceptual and gender analysis.

Results. It has been found that in diasporic women’s prose of the mid-twentieth century, motherhood is an axiological component of the concept of «woman». Motherhood is regarded by writers as a generalized phenomenon of love and care not only for their own children, but also for all who need the care of a nanny, albeit a non-native. The article reveals that motherhood undergoes a special social function in times of socio-political crisis, when the image of the mother acquires additional connotations of civic education of children. Here we have another function of motherhood ‒ to protect, because in times of social disasters, the mother tries to protect both children and the centre of their lives: the homeland for which young lives are laid. Therefore, the ideological contamination of maternal and patriotic feelings in the prose acquisition of diaspora writers is quite natural and artistically justified. The writers deduce the image of the mother in the rank of axiological dominants of Ukrainian society, it becomes a symbol of goodness, humanity, individual-personal and national self-sacrifice.

Conclusions. A study has found that the axiological component of motherhood becomes in women’s prose an integral element of the concept of “woman” and is usually indicated by the halo of tragedy. Maternity in the existence of the twentieth century is put by a woman in the office of humanitarian society, its value coordinates.