The motif of love in G.K.Chesterton's novels

This article examines the motif of love in the novels of G. K. Chesterton, which constitutes a central theme in his oeuvre. The study explores the connections between the love motif and other key motifs in his work, such as the journey, carnival, wonder, and the apocalyptic. The primary focus is on the portrayal of love between a man and a woman in the writer's novels. The research is based on an analysis of Chesterton's novels from different periods, including his early novel Basil Howe. Particular attention is given to the motif of love in the novel "The Return of Don Quixote". The analysis also draws upon the writer's treatises and essays.The article examines the depictions of lovers who are united in Chesterton's novels on the principle of opposition and complementarity. For the English writer, the pinnacle of love is marriage, which represents a synthesis of the earthly and the heavenly. The methodological framework of this study is the comparative method. The results of the comparative analysis of literary texts indicate that the motif of love remains unchanged, preserving a unified semantic paradigm throughout Chesterton's creative career. This study represents the first dedicated examination of the love motif in Chesterton's novels in both Russian and international literary scholarship. Special emphasis is placed on identifying the connections between the concept of love in the English writer's works and its portrayal in early German Romanticism. It is revealed that, drawing on the Romantic tradition, Chesterton depicts love in an idealized light as a synthesis of distinct personalities. In this union, the individuals not only preserve their individuality and freedom but also discover their true essence.