THE EXISTENTIAL PROBLEM OF «OTHERNESS» AS THE MOST PAINFUL DOMINANT OF LITERATURE FOR TEENAGERS: LINGUODIDACTIC ASPECT

Introduction. Feeling of being different, alien, and as a result, useless, confused and lonely in the modern global world is gaining morbidity. This is especially acute for the literature, where a teenager acts as a protagonist. Purpose: To investigate the existential problem of «otherness» in teenager literature, to find out the peculiarities of its expression and the ways of solution offered in the works of contemporary Ukrainian authors. Methods: comparatively historical, contextual, typological. Results. Based on the analysis of works on the existential philosophy of J.-P. Sartre and M. Heidagger we find out that heroes obtain a sense of otherness and separation from society having got into a borderline situation (like bulling) that causes a personality change. The motive of «strangeness», «otherness», which is traced in contemporary works with the teenager protagonist, is divided into two groups: 1) differentness, forcibly created by the society - a state of a black sheep among peers; 2) the conscious image of «other in yourself» when the teenager feels the need to distance himself or herself from the general. Originality. For the first time, the problem of the «otheness», «alienness», «strangeness» as existential one in the works where the main characters are teenagers was isolated and comprehensively analyzed. It is suggested to consider the problem in two perspectives. Conclusions. Regardless of the situation, «otheness», «alienness», «strangeness» becomes negative in human life, because it contradicts the understanding of oneself, one's purpose in life in society. Therefore, heroes desperately seek to overcome alienness both in themselves and in society. Comprehensive coverage of this problem in Ukrainian works on adolescents, as well as comparison with the translated works of foreign authors in the future will help to find potential ways of solving the problem through fiction.