THE SYMBOLIC FUNCTION OF IMPERIAL SIGNS AND IMAGES IN THE LITERARY WORK OF ISMAIL KADARE

THE SYMBOLIC FUNCTION OF IMPERIAL SIGNS AND IMAGES IN THE LITERARY WORK OF ISMAIL KADARE The literary work of Ismail Kadare is overloaded with signs, images and what this essay terms “imperial figures.” Imperial figures in our usage of the signs of empires marked upon the past, often continue to resonate in the present. Kadare’s poetry, and even more his prose, overwhelms the reader with structures, symbols, details and imperial subjects. In their entirety, these signs of historical, ideological and cultural character originate from various Roman, Ottoman, fascist and communist sources, and deliberately intrigue reading from the socio-political aspect, which is oriented through allusive, confrontational and propositional mechanisms. Our study analyses the literary functions of imperial signs and images in some of the author’s novels. By assuming that the implication of imperial images and signs in Kadare’s books is a characteristic of his style, we also aim to explore, through the investigation of specific examples, the essence of literary intent and perceptual projection which stems from their frequent use. The paper shows that Kadare draws deeply from cultureembedded values, invoking the reader’s desire to make meaning or interpret signs and images in order to associate his fictionalized imperial signs with his depiction of Albania’s history.