Philosophical Aspects of Arthur Machen`s Book "The Great God Pan"

Machen`s work “The Great God Pan” is one of his most popular books written in his most productive period of 1890`s. That was a reason for the author of the paper to choose this particular work for present research.
Philosophical aspects of the work determine not only the main themes considered in the book, but create the picture of the world seen by Machen. Through the study of the philosophical aspects of his book “The Great God Pan” the author of the paper reveals Machen`s attitude to various fields of life, such as science, medicine, religion and many others. Philosophical aspects presented in the book reveal his perception of the world, his main beliefs and values, therefore, the aim of the paper is:
to study the main philosophical aspects of Arthur Machen`s book “The Great God Pan” and determine his attitude, views and beliefs toward various spheres of life in the second half of the 19th century.
The objectives:
study and analysis of literature on Machen`s biography
determination of the main influences that affected his life and works
study and depiction of the historical background of the second half of the 19th century
determination of the main philosophical aspects considered in the book “The Great God Pan”
analysis and interpretation of Machen`s beliefs and attitude to such fields as objective reality, science, medicine, moral, religion etc.
The research question:
What are the main philosophical views and attitudes of Arthur Machen presented in his book “The Great God Pan”?
The hypothesis:
The philosophical aspects of Arthur Machen`s book “The Great God Pan” reveal his attitude and perception of the course of the 19th century.
The methods of the research:
the study and comparative analysis of scientific literature on the topic;
the analysis of Arthur Machen`s book “The Great God Pan”.
The present research is based on the study and analysis of 20 bibliography and Internet sources.
1. Arthur Machen’s Biography
Indeed, despite the contribution Arthur Machen made to English literature and the vast range of his work, he has gained little attention to his life and literary work. Machen`s literary significance is substantial; his stories have been translated and reprinted into many languages. Literary critic, Wesley D. Sweetser (1964), sees his works as a significant part of the late Victorian revival of the gothic novel and the decadent movement of the 1890s, bearing direct comparison to the themes found in contemporary works of Robert Louis Stevenson or Oscar Wilde.…