THE IMAGE OF THE CITY OF CAHUL IN LITERATURE: GHEORGHE REABȚOV, TEODOR NENCEV AND OTHERS

Abstract

Abstract: The methodological and theoretical framework of imagology gives us the opportunity to understand the way in which the images of some or others are concretized in the form of literary tropes related to certain places/ topos or representative people of these places. Such cultural representations, called in imagology imagotypes (self-imagotypes/ heteroimagotypes) offer us the opportunity to know peoples/ regions/ countries from another perspective, much more varied and multidisciplinary. The image of the city of Cahul can be described as being particularly varied, combining historical, cultural, geographical and social elements. Therefore, Cahul is perceived as a city with a rich history, a strong traditional culture and hospitable people. The city is known for its picturesque countryside with green hills and fertile soils. Also, the Prut River, which passes by the city, is an important element of the image of Cahul, providing a vital source of life and being seen as a symbol of unity and fraternity between the Republic of Moldova and Romania. On the other hand, the history of the city and its cultural heritage are highlighted through the old monuments and buildings, through folk dances and songs, which play an important role in the cultural identity of the city. In general, the image of the city of Cahul is a positive one, being associated with picturesque nature, rich history and culture, but also with welcoming and open to everything new people. The corpus of imagotype texts proposed for analysis (George Coșbuc, Dimitrie Bolintineanu, Teodor Nencev, Leonid Nuzbroh and others), highlight a set of imagotypes that will directly complement the romanian cultural heritage in general.