Existential Purposefulness of Maeve Binchy`s Short Stories

Abstract

The article is dedicated to analysis of some short stories of contemporary Irish author Maeve Binchy from her collections of “Chestnut Street”, “The Return Journey” and “This Year It Will Be Different”. This writer is one of the prominent and the most popular British creators of fiction prose. Maeve Binchy`s genre is life stories, in which every day joys, sorrows and problems of common people are described. There are ordinary life situations, but they are striking by the ways of thoughts, feelings, decisions, styles of behavior and conducted actions. Maeve Binchy`s attention is directed on family, community and friendly relationships. Writer`s life position reflects in wise, full-hearted, supportive, empathetic attitude towards her characters in all variety of human nature.

General arguments of existential approach toward life activity of a personality in a society have been systematized in the article. Human interaction occurs in various situations, which always have open perspectives, so a person is free in choosing his decisions, reflected in following actions.

The leading role of value priorities of reaction on usual and boundary situations has been defined. Foundation of human spiritual world is positive feelings and intentions: friendship, support, love, empathy, compassion toward other people which are reflected in certain actions. The result of choosing a decision and making actions in boundary situation is a reflection of person`s spiritual essence, entity and depth of «I», a degree of his humanity.

A moment of existence and activity in boundary situations, which are connected with physical threat for human life or with making significant life decisions, radically changes world perception and world outlook, assists a personality`s transformation on a new level of development and self-cognition. Spiritual values are a basic category of personality`s existence and self-development in the world. Despite complications and contradictions of life situations a person should be human.