The literary symbol in Jon Bilbao’s western trilogy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24197/rkdr0788Keywords:
Jon Bilbao, relevance theory, contemporay Spanish narrative, literary symbolismAbstract
This paper aims to explore the use of the literary symbol in Jon Bilbao's western trilogy; in particular, the symbolic meaning of the spider will be studied. Using Relevance Theory as our primary theoretical framework, we propose that a literary symbol simultaneously carries both literal and abstract, indeterminate meanings. The nature of the latter is shaped by cultural and anthropological factors, and it also has a significant procedural dimension. In the second part of the paper, we conclude that in these novels, the spider symbol is linked both to the archetype of the terrible mother and to mental illness, specifically depression. These two elements contribute to the overarching meaning, which ultimately provides coherence to the three books.
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