ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CHILD NARRATOR’S PERSPECTIVE AND THE GEOCULTURAL THINKING IN GYÖRGY DRAGOMÁN’S SHORT STORIES

Abstract

The analysis of three short story cycles (Grandfather’s Armchair, The Angel from Heaven, Karcsika) by György Dragomán was guided by the intention of the author to examine the stories narrated by a cheerful child's voice. Thus, the description of the child narrator’s perspective was made possible by the exploration of focalization techniques and geocultural determinations. The child's vision, which is receptive to fairy tales and games, also accommodates the identity-constructing elements and beliefs of the region, the East Central European space having a constitutive effect on the narrator's point of view. Due to a geocultural interpretation, a broader, more contextual world is constructed, where the background beliefs related to Christmas and the experience of the parents can be read along the signs. The author perceives the spatial structure of ‘block neighbourhood’ not as a static picture frame, but as an organizer of relations. The game played by thechild and his grandparent reorganizes the layout and function of the space. The study of focalization procedures has made possible the description of the transition between reality and the world of game, and also to explore the common vision of child and adult. The focalization of the narrator in each short story was determined by a close relationship to beliefs or family members. The examination of focalization activity has shown that in intergenerational relationships, adults take the children’s play seriously, thereby providing them with activities appropriate to theirage. The lack of a point of view that conflicts with the world of play, as well as the presentation ofloving relationships, ensures the serenity of the child's voice.