Abstract:

The paper is aimed to research the interconnections between Margaret Drabble’s literary works and her novels at English literature classes at Kazan Federal University. The relevance of the investigated problem is caused by the fact that a set of similar images and ideas are used in Drabble’s critical articles as well as in her realistic novels. The purpose of the paper is to analyse some of her literary works (“Arnold Bennett. A Biography”, “The Genius of Thomas Hardy”, “Wordsworth”) in parallel with her novels (‘The Millstone’, “The Waterfall”, ”The Realms of Gold”) to reveal some similarities and interconnections in the course of literary analysis with the students.

In the article the concrete textual study of Drabble’s works is carried out on the basis of the comparative-historical method of analysis of her creative work and the literary process of Britain as a whole. This theoretical approach is combined with literary-historical and literary-critical angles. The analysis proves that Drabble’s novels and her literary works created in a certain period of the author’s activity have considerable thematic and imagery coincidences. It allows the students to trace the logic of the development of Drabble’s creative thought of a particular period and reveal the main characteristics of her artistic style.

The results of the research could be applied by educators and teachers to master their teaching practice. The basic methods and analysis techniques can be used in the preparation of seminars on Drabble’s works, for reading special courses on contemporary literature, in the study of other authors’ artistic styles.

Keywords:

Research, university student, education, English literature, M. Drabble, novel, writer, literary critic, A. Bennett, T. Hardy, W. Wordsworth.