Study of Literature

Second year Master:AizhanErkassym

Supervisor of Studies: Doctor of Philological Science, Professor A.B. Temirbolat

The time and space in dramaturgy

The subject of time and space has been exciting the humanity for many years. Everyone has been realizing the time and space by himself. Though, everybody understood that life has no measures without these definitions. If we consider both time and space as philosophic categories, then what part do they take in art and literature?

As German philosopher J.Locke noticed, analyzing the works of art in the background of two philosophical categories as time and space - is a tradition that has been developed a long time ago. A lot of philosophers in ancient Greece participated in solving this question; they are Aristotle, in XVII-XIX c. Lessing, Herder, Diderot, Home, Shaftesbury, Hegel. In 20-30s of XX century, research was done by M.Bahtin, L.Vygotsky, S.Einstein. The subject of their research is analysis of the particular work and summarizing the writer’s view on time and space. There were many views and opinions, but only by 60s the majority emphasized the importance of comprehensive learning of time and space. In the opinion of M.Bahtin, the research of time and space is not only investigating the specialties of the work of literature, but additionally understanding the literature direction and features of methods. The ideas and thoughts in the scholar’s work were significant in many ways for development of other scholars’ researches.

There are several scientific works in Russian philology on the issue of time and space. The objective works on this direction were done by D.S.Lihachev, M.M.Bahtin, V.Halizev, U.Borev, N.K.Gay, E.F.Volodin, etc.

In Kazakh philology, the subject was particularly considered by Z.Akhmetov, Sh.Ybyrayev, E.Tursynov, Sh.K.Nurlanova, T.Esembekov, B.Maitanov, T.Zhurtbay, V.V.Savelyeva, A.B.Temirbolat, S.M.Altybayeva.

According to the researches of different works, V.Halizevconcluded that time and space is the means of viewing the basis of the story, the system of the motives thatintroduces the world parts such as biographic (childhood, youth, old age), historic (generation, period, occurrence of historical events), cosmic (the definitions of infinity), calendar (year, month, changing of days), 24 hours (changing of day and night, morning and evening), so as action and calmness; past, present and future.

So what is the level of researches on time and space in Kazakh philology? The most part of the works on this topic is written in Russian, only few are in Kazakh.

In the article of the scholar and student of folklore A.Seidimbek“Kazaktynuakyt pen kenistikturalydastyrlytysynigi”, dividing the seasons of a year by ecological time measures as “spring”, “summer”, “autumn”, “winter” has a significant meaning in the experience of nation’s notion. The natural phenomena occurring in particular season and actions regarding to those natural phenomena strongly depend on time.

Relating to this opinion, the environment, nature, space bodies and actions connecting with these phenomenaalso depend on time. Here is the example of how time is measured according to the season: spring comes, summer starts, autumn appears, the beginning of the winter, first snow, snowy winter, snowstorm by the end of December, cold wind by the end of May, the middle of July, time between the months, the twilight, the last moon phase, the springtime, by the morning, noon, evening, night air; the genealogical time (generation, seven grandfathers, grandchildren, great grandchildren), the situational time (one and half-two hours between milking each mare, funeral feast in memory of BogembayBatyr, 40 days after the birth of a child), thehistoric time (day, night, century, period). According to this classification, the researchers summed up the following verbal signs of space – fragile, as the needle tip, barely visible, long, wide, distant, far,limitless. This statement was mentioned in the thesis of E.Khankey, K.Khamzina and O.Kozbekov.

The II paragraph of thesis ofO.Rozbekov is called “Time and space”. In this part the author describes the peculiar features of heroes of O.Bokeev’s“Karkyzy”, the interrelations between solitude and space and how people change depending on their surrounding; briefly, author examines how space impacts on solitude, what humanistic qualities would appear if manwas left alone in space and what would be his spiritual thoughts.

There are several methods of learning the structure and extensiveness of literature in modern philosophical study. That is because this category is diverse and complicated. This way, study of the space is provided in three ways. The first way -the literary space is considered in the spatial form widespread in world philology. The Spatial form is the special type of esthetical point of view in literature, which means that integrity of described stories is considered not by correlation of reasons and consequences, but by “internal reflective logic of integrity and synchronism of the space of consciousness”. The second way is related with the statements of S.U.Nehludov and U.M.Lotman. These scholars considered the definition of the literary space as the means of describing any definition regarding to constructional relations in the works of literature. Third way is created on the basis of M.M.Bahtin’s theory. According to the theory, the space is the constructional part of spatio-temporal chronotop.

As usual, the space mentioned in the works is described with creative ideas, dreams, author’s point of view and his life experience. Because every writer tries to describe the phenomena close to him in the physical, creative and meaningful aspects. Literary space is “world model portrayed by a particular author in the language of his views on definition of space”.

Since dramaturgy appeared, it was required to adhere to the “Three unions”: time union (story line must happen within 24 hours), time union (story must happen only in one place), story union (one story must develop from another story, and follow the construction of the story line). From all the facts beyond we realize the importance of space and time for dramaturgy.

The time and space (chronotop) in dramaturgy means “now and there”, but the issue of time and space is much bigger (epics of criticism drama, retrospection – recalling the past, prospection – seeing the future) and it is hard to resist the fact of changing of time and space regarding to the mood in poetry.

Types of time and space in dramaturgy:

- Dramatist’s time and space;

- Director’s time and space;

- Actor’s time and space;

- The audience’s time and space.

Dramatist creates the work by his own discretion. He is able to show the full meaning of the story by stage directions. It means, using the stage directions he can show in what space and what time the story goes. For instance, let us consider the role of stage directions in the play “Biz usheyedik”of TolenAbdikululy. Only three heroes participate: Murat, Dariga and Omirbek.

Scene one.Inside view of the apartment.Living room. In the center the table and chairs situated. Wall unit.The sofa. TV set. The picture on the wall. The lamp on the corner lightingup the room also shows that it is a nighttime. The doorbell rings, the ill-timed unexpected guest outside. Wearing the robe, Dariga runs and opens the door. Murat enters, he was wore the cap, light raincoat, with the bag, that he always takes for business trips.

The beginning directions show that it is a nighttime. Though, it is not mentioned on the scene. But the scene “The lamp on the corner lighting up the room also shows that it is a nighttime” can immediately tell the viewer what time is described in the play, if director organized the interior in the right way. In addition, it helps to identify the time and space, also, the interior plays an important role in defining the level of living of the house owner.

Dariga (with emotion): What are you doing so late?

Murat (putting his bag on the floor, and taking off his cap): I have just got out of the plane. Are you okay?

Dariga: Yes, thanks God. You?

Murat: How’s your son?

Dariga: He graduates the school this year.

Murat (surprised): Really?

Dariga: Many years passed since you had been there the last time.

Murat: Time goes so fast.

Dariga: Come in.

From this dialogue, we can detect that these persons are close friends who have not seen each other for a long period; that Murat came in the night and he came from another space (“I have just got out of the plane”); also we find out that he is in a business trip. The age of Dariga’s son is seventeen-eighteen, that was identified by logical aspect of her words “he graduates the school this year”. From these facts we see the real time.

In the second scene the meeting of Murat and Omirbek is described. Murat comes to Omibek’s house, starts talking about the man who was the reason of Dariga and Omirbek’s divorce. Omirbek got mad and dumped the truth to Murat. Told that he always loved Dariga, and that Murat told everyone that Dariga was a woman of easy virtue and that her behavior caused the divorce, and even he had fun with her. Here we see how Omirbek changed his view and thoughts about Murat, he was disappointed, realized that people don’t need the truth. Between first and second scenes, we see the changes in Omirbek’s mood and how time passed by this action. This is a perceptional time.

After the dramatist, the director takes the lead. The director makes changes by his discretion, his time and space passes.

When it comes to acting on the stage, when actors learn their speech, play the act – they spend their time and space. There is no explanation on the stage, so audience will notice the changing of time and space bythe actors’ dialogues, actions and by changing of their feelings and mood.

Next, the play takes a place in the viewer’s time and space. Even if the actions are in the past, the audience receives them as the present time. Life is going in front of the viewers’ eyes, even though they have no explanations. F.Shiller: epic work changes the present time to the past, the past time in dramatic work to the present. The drama must be adjusted to the conditions of the stage. We must have in mind the space of the stage either.

References/ Used Literature:

1. Classic researches, Multi-volume. Almaty; Adebietalemi, 2014;

2. Syrgayev A. “Sahnagasapar”, Almaty, 1990;

3. The Drama Art// Sanat, Almaty, 2001, p.480;

4. Ordaliyev S. “Kazak dramaturgiyasynynocherki”, 1964;

5. “A.V.Lunacharsky. Teatrzhanedramaturgiyaturaly”, 1958, part 1-2;

6. BorisovaL.M. Характер в драме, 1980;

7. BahtinM.M. Эстетика словесного творчества, 1979;

8. “A.V.Lunacharsky. Teatrzhanedramaturgiyaturaly”, 1958, part 1-2;

9. TemirbolatA.B. Поэтика литературы, Almaty, 2011, 168;

10. TemirbolatA.B. Проблема хронотопа в современной прозе, RepublicofKazakhstan, Almaty, 2003, 200;

11. Современное зарубежное литературоведение. Энциклопедия-справочник.I.P.Ilyin, E.A.Tsurganova, 1996;