Călătoria alegorică şi alegoristul. O hermeneutică a discursului postmodern cărtărescian
Allegorical Journey and the Allegorist. Hermeneutics of the Cartarescian Postmodern Discourse

Summary/Abstract: The real journey is a journey in the company of the Other, or of the Other’s culture. The more numerous the communication possibilities are, the more we implode, meaning that we accumulate more energy inside of us. The more “worldwide” our communication is, the more hermetic, the more tribal, the more solipsist our epicenter becomes – a sign of our identity salvation in relation with the otherness (Baudrillard; Guillaume). The Encyclopedia of Dragons, by Mircea Cărtărescu, is a parody that is relevant to the theme of the journey and to a certain type of traveler: the allegorist (Todorov). The principle of the epic construction consists in building the simulacrum of a virtual world. The escape from the outside of the Real here in the Other World is possible through a distortion of space, which makes ‘the remote’ space perceivable as ‘the near’. The allegoric journey is meant to help the traveler get as far as possible. The allegorist sees the foreigner and the foreign places as critical metaphors. He travels metaphorically. He travels only then relating himself to his own culture. He uses the Other Land” (Celălalt Tărâm) and the hypostases of the Mioritic Dragon (Zmeul mioritic) as allegories to position him a considerable distance away from his own territory. In communication, the allegorist remains centered in his own culture.

• Details
• Contents