ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE CONCEPTS OF “WAR” AND “PEACE” IN CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH LITERATURE
Keywords:
war and peace concepts, contemporary English literature, conceptual analysis, trauma narrative, cultural memory, moral responsibility, literary discourse, post-war consciousnessAbstract
This article examines the artistic interpretation of the concepts of “war” and “peace” in contemporary English literature from a conceptual and theoretical perspective. The study explores how modern literary discourse transforms war from a historical and political event into a psychological, ethical, and existential experience. Drawing on selected works of twentieth- and twenty-first-century English-language writers, the article analyzes the representation of war as a source of trauma, moral uncertainty, and identity fragmentation. At the same time, peace is interpreted not as a simple state of stability but as a complex process of inner reconstruction shaped by memory, guilt, and responsibility. The research employs conceptual analysis, cultural memory theory, and literary discourse analysis to reveal the dynamic relationship between war and peace as interconnected categories. The findings demonstrate that contemporary English literature rejects heroic and ideological narratives, emphasizing instead individual moral choice, human vulnerability, and ethical awareness. The article contributes to comparative and conceptual literary studies by highlighting the evolving semantic and philosophical dimensions of war and peace in modern artistic thought.
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