THE "SENSITIVE HEROINE" PHENOMENON: WHY TEARS BECAME WOMAN'S MAIN WEAPON IN SENTIMENTALIST LITERATURE

This article explores the depiction of female characters in 18th-century Sentimentalism. The author analyzes the evolution of the artistic ideal—shifting from the Classicist "heroine of duty" to the Sentimentalist "heroine of feeling." Particular attention is paid to the motif of tears as a semiotic sign, which underwent a re-evaluation during the Enlightenment: transforming from a symbol of weakness into an expression of moral superiority and a tool for psychological influence.