The Image of an Adventurer in Mary Ann by Daphne du Maurier

Dr. Alsu Vafina Khadievna,

Department of World Literature, Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication,

Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia

The aim of the study is to reveal psychological techniques used in constructing the female image in Mary Ann by Daphne Du Maurier (1954). The main character of the work is a real historical person named Mary Ann, who is the great–grandmother of the writer. The story of Mary Ann, a famous courtesan who was the favorite of the king's brother, the Duke of York, is an example of a manipulation plot. Daphne Du Maurier presents a fascinating story of the dependence of the English political system on the gambling of a woman at the end of the XVII and beginning of the XIX centuries. Court intrigues and political feuds are skillfully woven into the narrative of the rise and fall of the heroine. The author of the report reveals the specifics of the author's style in the presentation of historical events in the genre of fiction. The correlation of historical and artistic influences forms the basis of philological analysis. As a result of the research, it is demonstrated that the absence of a subjectively defined, unambiguous understanding of women's roles in society in women's writing allows Daphne Du Maurier to present an assessment of the same historical fact from various perspectives. The same purpose is served by the interweaving of narrative elements inherent in the detective genre into the traditional manipulation plot. The change of semantic dominants in the text allows Daphne du Maurier to reproduce a unique artistic image that is far from an unambiguous interpretation.

Keywords: The Image of an Adventurer, English Literature, Female Prose, Daphne du Maurier, Psychology

The above abstract is a part of the article which was accepted at The Eighth International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, Translation and Literature (WWW.LLLD.IR), 14-15 February 2023, Ahwaz.