Publication Details
Publisher: Indexed Research Publishing Company
Issue: Vol 54, No (2026)
ISSN: 2792-8268

Abstract

The article explores the conflict between dream and reality in ETA Hoffmann's novellas through the concept of “ dvoemirie ” – “dual worlds” coexistence and collision of two worlds: the everyday rational world and the mysterious, poetic, fantastic world. The study analyzes how Hoffmann uses fantasy, irony, grotesque, psychological tension, and unstable narration to reveal the inner split of the Romantic hero. The research focuses on such works as The Golden Pot, The Sandman, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and Little Zachs Called Cinnabar. The article argues that Hoffmann's dual-world aesthetics is not merely a decorative Romantic device, but a deep artistic method that exposes the crisis of human consciousness in a rationalized society.

Keywords
ETA Hoffmann Romanticism dual worlds dream reality fantasy irony