Conceptualization of time and space in the novel by T. Kawaguchi "Before the coffee gets cold"

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the chronotope in Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s novel “Before the coffee gets cold”. The study draws on the theoretical works of M. Bakhtin, G. Shpet, P. Ricreur, and Yu. Lotman. Particular attention is given to the depiction of the enclosed space of the cafe and time as a philosophical category. Relying on the ideas of M. Bakhtin, Yu. Lotman, and P. Ricreur, the research explores how the artistic chronotope becomes a foundation for reflecting on the past, the freedom of choice, and the inevitability of consequences. The study employs structural and interpretative analysis. As a result, it identifies the specific features of the chronotope that shape the ideological and artistic content of the novel.