THE STYLISTIC VALUE OF SIMILES AND EPITHETS IN NAR-DOS'S SHORT STORY CYCLE “OUR NEIGHBORHOOD” Kristine Nikoghosyan

Abstract

The article examines the structural, semantic, and functional characteristics of similes and epithets in Nar-Dos's short story cycle Our Neighborhood, as well as the main patterns of their use and their expressive potential. The analysis revealed that similes and epithets constitute important components of Nar-Dos's figurative system. Similes are primarily based on folk perceptions, natural phenomena, the animal world, and everyday life, whereas hypothetical similes contribute to the expression of the characters' individual perceptions and emotional experiences. The juxtaposition of images belonging to different semantic domains enhances the artistic impact and expressiveness of similes. Epithets occur in a wide variety of structural and semantic forms, including simple and compound, colour and anthroponymic epithets, as well as fixed epithetic constructions. Particularly noteworthy is the high frequency of epithets containing the lexical items eyes and gaze, which play an important role in revealing the psychological states of the characters. Anthroponymic epithets serve as distinctive means of character individualization and of expressing the folk linguistic worldview. The findings of the study indicate that the purposeful and multifaceted use of similes and epithets underlies the expressiveness of Nar-Dos's literary language, contributes to the formation of the work's stylistic originality, and reveals the distinctive features of the writer's figurative thinking.