THE CONCEPTS OF CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL IN THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH AND IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE
THE CONCEPTS OF CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL IN THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH AND IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE

Summary/Abstract: This thesis approaches, in the first part, the connection between two iconic characters of the world literature: Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The characters are analysed against the contrast between the idea of “centre” and “periphery”, which unites them by building a friendship. The Eros plays an important part, as both characters have known seduction, and, finally, the thesis dramatically refers to the question of death. In the second part, these concepts of central and marginal are brought into discussion to the extent that they apply to Russian literature. We have considered three authors from the Slav area: Gogol, Dostoievski and Cehov. Petersburg plays an important part, with its mysterious Nevski Prospekt street, and the magic of centre and periphery that it holds. Characters such as Akaki Akakievici, the man from the underground, or Uncle Vania demonstrate how heavy is the burden carried by all these marginal participants in life, who are brutally drawn to a centripetal force.

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