The linguistic and cultural context of the concept CRIME in the narrative (based on the material of J. O’Connor’s novel “Star of the Sea”)

The article explores the linguistic and cultural context of the concept CRIME in the postmodern narrative, focusing on the actualization and verbalization of its central elements. The concept CRIME is a universal category representing cognitive mechanisms of interaction with various concepts and national features of worldviews, cultural specificity, individual psychological experience and behavioral adaptation. This study examines the linguistic and cultural aspects of the concept CRIME based on the the novel “Star of the Sea. Farewell to Old Ireland” (2002) by contemporary Irish writer Joseph O’Connor, translated by Yaroslava Strikha (2021). This bestseller, nominee and winner of national and international literary awards, represents a hybrid genre – historical-gothic detective novel incorporating elements of romance, mysticism and neo-Victorian fiction. The study of concepts as culturally determined mental constructs, which directly verbalize national values, and encapsulate the characteristics of the national identity and the linguistic worldview remains a relevant topic in modern philosophical, linguistic, cultural, cognitive and semantic research. At the same time, it is important to note that the conceptualization occurs not only under the influence of universal scientific knowledge, but to a large extent under the impact of a specific national cultural and historical paradigms. Therefore, this article, for the first time, examines how the concept CRIME in the English-language worldview acquires an Irish linguistic and cultural content. Employing the linguistic and cultural methodology, the study offers a historical interpretation of the concept CRIME in the context of the Victorian era in England and Ireland within a postmodern narrative. Additionally, for the first time, the article classifies CRIME within superordinate conceptual categories, distinguishing CRIME against humanity as a separate category, that encompasses subordinate level categories such as genocide (and its expansions: intentional deprivation of means of livelihood, forced displacement, incitement of ethnic conflict, treason, sedition, acts of terrorism) and crimes committed by state structures structures (unlawful use of force, criminal profiteering).