Musical code in N. Gogol's prose: a bell and a hand bell

In contemporary philology the integrated approach is most constantly used. It means that the work of art is analysed as a linguistic, cultural and philosophic phenomenon. The bases of music, visual and plastic art play a significant role there, their activity and interaction in the text is also important. The immanent feature of Gogol's writing style is elements of poetry in his prose. Rhythmical text arrangement, songs inclusion, numerous sound images which are meaningful both at semantic and plot levels are the ways of lyric enrichment. Music philosophy interpretation is necessary for our understanding of Gogol's aesthetic aim, his method, genre and style. It is the sound motif of ringing that reveals and accompanies both animate and inanimate objects. This signal symbol identifies the conversions of alive into dead, the infinite space into the finite one, usual and alien lives areas of contact. The hand bell and the bell as symbols of everyday life and being represent this musical phenomenon. In the physical world ringing, clanking and clinking objects put others in order and set the unity. Birds' warbling, clear and loud songs mark the vertical line between the earth and the sky; the hum voices of folk people dancing to musical instruments and jingling horseshoes limit their own space. Still, shifts and breaches of microcosm are accompanied by tinkling. Everyday routine is inspired with being: that is why frontier objects (windows, doors, locks) chink. The symbol of harness bell exposes its ontological status; this ringing demonstrates the endless area and passes on the strained pulse of the character and the world around him. The ordinary journey transforms into a spiritual way. The hand bell semantics is strongly attached to the space whereas the bell meaning is associated with the time. Gogol's history concept is reproduced by bell ringing: all events echo through times and epochs. The bell symbolises the flight of the time, in its daily rhythm one can hear the whirl of the events of the being. The ringing supports the world's stability and harmony. The bell and hand bell sounds become significant for sonorous psychological inner world. Characters' behaviour depends on the constantly moving, shaking and rocking space. The ringing and tinkling change its ontological status for anthropological: dumbness or keenness indicates if a person pays attention to the world and other people, sharp sensitiveness helps to know oneself and make oneself known. Ringing, clinking and tinkling space designs the original Gogol's art topos where the living soul is constantly being sought and the broad world's echo is heard.

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