epigraph

The present paper deals with the autotextual potential of the codex “Book of Three Religions” written by Sofroniy Vrachanski in 1805. The main hypothesis, inspired by Radosvet Kolarov’s term “autotextuality”, is that the organization of the volume of three translated theological works on the Abrahamic religions and the original autobiography of the author correspond with a deliberately designed “epigraph”. The text of the “epigraph” is a maxim that can be regarded as a key for interpreting the whole logic of the volume. The maxim, which dates back to Antiquity coincides with Sofroniy’s idea of the different modes of time that define the role of humans as agents in global historic events.

Returning to “The Purloined Letter” introduces the question of interpretation on two intertwined levels – the internal (the fictional characters’ comments) and the external (the critics’ comments). The paper has the task of tracing interpretive strategies through characters’ voices, i.e. through the conflict of internal interpretations. Monsieur G’s method insists on the typical and on hermeneutic depth. The detective Dupin uses the contrasting approach; he conceptualizes the logic of the incommensurable and mimicry. The anonymous narrator's voice is not impartial, he confides in Dupin and so there are blind spots in the narrative itself. The following paper unfolds two detective micro-plots by following the tracks of the epigraphist and the author of the purloined letter. I examine the poetics of narrative as isomorphic to the manners in which we interrogate the interpretations of the characters within it. The conclusion is not surprising – reading is a real detective story.