ПСИХОСЕМАНТИКА СІРОГО КОЛЬОРУ В ТВОРЧОСТІ ГУ ЧЕНА ЯК ПРОЯВ ЙОГО ДЕПРЕСИВНОГО СТАНУ, МАНІАКАЛЬНИХ СХИЛЬНОСТЕЙ ТА СУЇЦИДНОГО МИСЛЕННЯ

Abstract

Introduction. This article analyses “the Self-concept” of the individual through the lens of the color semantics and color codes of the author, using the example of the Chinese poetdissident Gu Cheng and his creative work. The color projection of the early and late author’s artistic endeavor is the reflection of his mental condition, reflection of the outside world, and his rebellious temperament and secluded life. Color codes are decrypted within the article by means of the psycho-semantic portrait of the poet, namely – by means of “colorful Self-portrait”, which has been purposefully offered by the poet to his reader as a means of the code communication. Such a means of presenting one’s own world perception made it possible to trace the introvert, who always tried to be heard, but was afraid. The nonrandomness of the color code associations should be explained, firstly, by the destiny of the poet-dissident in China, and later on – the poet “in exile”, who had to hide, and had to present one’s own creative work through codes, associations and symbols. These facts may prove that the author had been writing not for everybody, but only for those, who could understand him. The appearance of the grey color within Gu Cheng’s writings and association of oneself with the “grey suit” were not accidental. The research of the psychosemantics of grey color gives the key to understanding the mental deviation of the Chinese poet. Thus, the article offers the brief introduction to the psycho-semantics of the grey color and the semantics of the “negative” color connotations and color combinations. Furthermore, at analyzing the poet’s biography, there had been carried out the analyses of the “positive” color codes within the early creative writing of the poet with progressive displacement of the “positive” and transferring the lyrical text to the “negative” codes and symbols. The attention is focused on the semantics of the grey color, on the thoughts and actions of the poet. The article presents the two main reflections of Gu Cheng’s character. The first one reveals the hidden endeavors of his private life, the second one – shows the maniacal language of symbols, which could be read in his lyrics. Gu Cheng has hidden his mental condition from the society in his every-day life, but has been “crying out” about his pain in his lyrics and prose. We observe the formation of the dual personality: the introvert – in a real life, and extravert – in creative work. Such a split personality image was typical for the Chinese “Misty poets”, whose creative life has been formed as “underground writing” in Celestial Empire and has continued “in exile” far from Motherland. Methods of the research. The article presents the problem by the spectrum of the following psychological methods: biographical method, psychological testing, natural experiment, supervision, psychological simulation of the expectative life events. Among the literary methods, we mainly apply: biographical method, comparative method, sociohistorical approach. Results. By means of the color semantics we show the transformation of the man’s thinking. The changing of the poet’s mental condition is given through decoding the color semantics, using cultural studies, psychological and sociological approaches. The early Gu Cheng has revealed himself by “warm” color connotations, the late creative work of the author consisted of depressive, maniac and suicidal language codes. Grey color predominance and the domination of the dark items in the poetic language codes of Gu Cheng reveals the sick condition and the depressive state of the writer. The escalation of the sickness is traced via the grey color frequency, refusal of the “positive” colors, which finally brought to maniacal jealousy and physical abuse. The poet aimed to use the color codes, thus, to be heard, needed help and treatment. But the alien society and environment, remote and indifferent toward the poet, couldn’t accept the pushed aside writer and couldn’t timely foretell the tragedy. Conclusions. The results of the research may be used for creating the unique color portrait of the personality, which will help to project the psychological portrait of the person, being in depression. The article shows the personal transformations in gradation from “positive” to “negative”, via decoding the color code semantics. Such a color approach toward “the Self-concept” analyzing helps to trace the appearance and climax of the maniac and suicidal behavior through the poet’s writing. At the same time, we may underline the importance of the dual nature within decoding the color associations, appealed to by the author. Thus, we focus attention not just at color semantics, typical for the culture of the society, but we analyze the color as the code and symbol considering the color psycho-semantics, confirmed by the scientific conclusions. Detailed approach to the studies of the man’s color portrait is not just the subject of scientific discourse and researches, but is also the key to social and criminalistic investigations and decisions.