The motif of Paradise Lost in the works of G. K. Chesterton

For the first time in both domestic and international literary studies, the motif of the lost paradise becomes the subject of an independent investigation within the context of G. K. Chesterton's works. In existing scholarly publications, this motif is mentioned only within the analysis of the garden imagery in the novel The Man Who Was Thursday, completed by E.V. Vasilyeva. Traditionally, researchers have focused not on the author's poetics but on the ideological aspects of his work. The motif of the lost paradise holds a significant place in Chesterton's oeuvre. The specific nature of its function in the English writer's works lies in the fact that the lost paradise is not irrevocably lost. Thus, the tragedy inherent in this motif within European literature is overcome by Chesterton, which emphasizes the uniqueness of his artistic world. The study employs the comparative method. It examines Chesterton's works pertaining to different genres and periods of the author's career. This article analyses the motif of the lost paradise in the works of G. K. Chesterton, one of the leading English writers of the twentieth century. The research encompasses a wide range of genres, including short stories, novels, treatises, and essays, and reveals the significance of this motif in the author's creative output. Particular attention is paid to the influence of Milton's poem Paradise Lost on Chesterton. The paper examines the specific features of the lost paradise motif's function in Chesterton's texts, as well as its interrelation with other motifs, such as miracle, freedom, love, the regained paradise, and idyllic and apocalyptic motifs. This research allows for a clarification of the specific features of Chesterton's poetics, particularly the motif structure of his novels and short stories, and serves to define the place of his work within the context of twentieth-century English literature.