<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> One of the most fundamental questions in the discourse on artistic creativity and interpretation is that of mimesis or representation; the relation and the ‘tension’ between experiential reality on one hand and an artistic construct on the other hand. In the present study, mimesis and the discussion about the connection between the experiential and the imaginary are understood as major characteristics by which man and the human condition are defined. From the context of the visual arts, the study proceeds to literature and, specifically, to an analysis of the novel The Real Life of Sebastian Knight (1941) by Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977). The main aim of the study is to show the questions of representation and interpretation as part of the universal inquiry about humanity and the human condition.</abstract>

Mimesis, interpretation and the human condition

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Joseph Conrad devoted twenty years to the writing of short stories. The wide range of subject and setting, spanning from sea stories to domestic tales, managed to constitute Conrad’s reputation as a master story-teller capable of capturing his audience with any theme. While the stories vary in quality, length and themes explored, they all oscillate around the subject of human psyche, with its unpredictability and dark corners portrayed in a rather complex way. The paper seeks to explore the vision of humanity, emerging from Conrad’s short fiction, as well as the literary devices which enable him to capture the essence of human struggle. It focuses primarily on Conrad’s extensive use of figurative language, which contributes to the lyrical quality of his texts, and enables him to express the anguish and disintegration of his characters.</abstract>

A man in crisis: selected short fiction of Joseph Conrad

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The submitted study describes the documentary film as a historical narrative that carries within it problems documented by historians such as Paul Veyne and Hayden White. It argues on behalf of the thesis that a documentary film in itself does not classify historical clues according to historical truth but according to a selected purpose (e.g. despite aesthetic conventions or in the case of a narrative film - according to the story). The study refutes the argument of Noël Carroll, who deals with the popularizing documentary film - specifically, connecting scientific “truth” with the tropological character of a documentary film narrative can create at best an approximate picture of a historical event.</abstract>

Documentary film as historical narrative

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> In The Queen and I (1992), English writer Sue Townsend (1946-2014) satirically imagines the abolition of the British monarchy and the subsequent social, political and even personal trials generated by their new situation. This paper1 focuses on the hardships experienced by the royal family in their demoted condition, with special focus on aspects related to personal identity, such as emotional remoteness, displacement, disputes over the reputation of the (royal) name, re-naming, falsifying one’s name and the invention of another identity, illness, escape mechanisms and struggles to adapt to a new life - all of these fictitious tribulations depicting the royal family in a state of crisis</abstract>

Adaptation or escapism? The British Royals’ tribulations and the crisis of personal identity in Sue Townsend’s The Queen and I

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The paper explores the eternal theme of morality and its effects on human thoughts and actions as depicted in M. L. Stedman’s debut novel The Light between Oceans (2012). The aim is to study how her characters, facing a demanding post-war environment, deal with morally challenging events in their lives and how they are able to fight the socially accepted concepts of what is right and what is wrong as well as the consequences of the serious decisions they make. Tom Sherbourne, a WWI veteran, settles down to his new job as lighthouse keeper and marriage with Isabel, but instead of finding peace, he faces several moral dilemmas which create a cold distance between him and his wife, as well as between his pre-war and actual self. In this sense, the paper tries to describe what Stedman has to say - through Tom’s character - about the nature of human morality and decision-making and how tragic their consequences might be.</abstract>

The fight between right and wrong: Exploring morality in M. L. Stedman’s novel The Light between Oceans

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 15 (2023): Issue 2 (December 2023)

Volume 15 (2023): Issue 1 (June 2023)

Volume 14 (2022): Issue 2 (December 2022)

Volume 14 (2022): Issue 1 (June 2022)

Volume 13 (2021): Issue 3 (December 2021)

Volume 13 (2021): Issue 2 (December 2021)

Volume 13 (2021): Issue 1 (June 2021)

Volume 12 (2020): Issue 2 (December 2020)

Volume 12 (2020): Issue 1 (June 2020)

Volume 11 (2019): Issue 2 (December 2019)

Volume 11 (2019): Issue 1 (June 2019)

Volume 10 (2018): Issue 2 (December 2018)

Volume 10 (2018): Issue 1 (June 2018)

Volume 9 (2017): Issue 2 (December 2017)

Volume 9 (2017): Issue 1 (June 2017)

Volume 8 (2016): Issue 2 (December 2016)

Volume 8 (2016): Issue 1 (June 2016)

Volume 7 (2015): Issue 2 (December 2015)

Volume 7 (2015): Issue 1 (June 2015)

Volume 6 (2014): Issue 2 (December 2014)

Volume 6 (2014): Issue 1 (June 2014)

Ars Aeterna

 Ars Aeterna is a literary peer-reviewed academic journal focused on the questions of literature and art and their importance in the contemporary world for the development of culture, mutual understanding, and the human self. It invites international contributions in the field of literary studies, concerning primarily the Anglophone world. The journal is seeking submissions on English, American, Irish, Scottish, Canadian, Australian and other English literary traditions. Its aim is to provide up-to-date and innovative critical and theoretical approaches to the study of literary text. The journal accepts studies on literary relations which include the Western tradition, but we encourage contributions which deal with world literature as well. General and comparative literature studies are also appreciated and we are open to a broad variety of methods and theories. While the journal primarily focuses on the study of literary texts, contributions related to art and film which address the text are also welcome. Submissions in English should offer international perspectives on specific themes and subjects and the journal’s thematic scope wants to provide a stimulating platform for scholarly discussions and dissemination of original research on literary history, theory, literary criticism and related matters. The content of the journal consists of high quality research articles and its target audience includes scholars and researchers in the field of literature and the study of art.  Rejection Rate   30-40%   Visit our Facebook  Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 