Onomastics in the Literature of French Postmodernism (based on the novel by B. Werber “Planet of Cats”)

Doklady Bashkirskogo Universiteta. 2025. Volume 10. No. 1. pp. 145-153.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33184/dokbsu-2025.1.15

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This article is devoted to the study of the specifics of the semantic and linguistic structure of the modern postmodern novel using the example of the work of the famous French writer B. Werber and his work “Planet of Cats”. The formation of postmodernism is associated with the phenomenon of intertextuality, which allows the author to preserve the integrity of the text content. One of the important examples of intertextuality in the novel “Planet of Cats” is its onomastic space, formed from various onyms that carry a large amount of both linguistic and extralinguistic information. The onomasticon of the novel's text contains various types of anthroponyms and toponyms that play an important role in creating the concept of the text and updating its intertextual connections. It should be noted that the French literature of postmodernism of the 21st century is characterized by a departure fromthe present reality into the world of symbols that more acutely and figuratively reflect current trends. “Planet of Cats" belongs to a genre of socio-psychological, philosophical fiction. The main characters of the novel are cats (bestial images). Using the material of his trilogy, the author shows that cats, not humans, become carriers of new symbols. They embody not only the mystical, but also the real world in which these creatures are destined to understand what is happening in order to help people to survive. B. Werber gives his cat characters names, thanks to which an unusual onomastic spaceof the entire text is formed, the imagery and depth of the author's idea are revealed.