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THEATER AND THEATRICALITY IN NINA BERBEROVA’S SHORT STORIES OF 1930–40S // Tomsk State Pedagogical University Bulletin. 2017. Issue 11 (188). P. 154-160

The paper analyzes Nina Berberova’s narrative experimentations in her short stories written in 1930s. They are connected with theatricality used both as a method of characters’self-reflection and as a mode to represent the émigré reality on behalf of the author. Berberova’s interest to theatricality started with extended attention to means to represent dialogical character of communication without dominating narrator. Her work on Madame (staged in 1938) influenced narrative structure of some of her prosaic texts as well. Several ideas find their way into the text in connection with theater and theatricality as a quality of reality. One of them is lack of independence on behalf of an actor; the other is interference between the actor and their part in a play. Depiction of theatricality is not static and its function develops from oppressing a character and forcing him out of life for non-conformance, through theater as an asylum from perils of life, to a global power, which is while alien, is not antagonistic but indifferent to human endeavors. Aesthetic principle serves as uniting the reality and the author hails its understanding as an important distinction of a character. Characters of latter stories are trying to enjoy the spectacle instead of rebelling against it. Putting aesthetic in the center of the world pushes Berberova from her earlier associations with writers in the style of human document closer to Vladimir Nabokov.

Keywords: émigré prose, short prose of Nina Berberovа, narration, theatrics

SYSTEM OF PERSONAGES IN NINA BERBEROVA’S THE ACCOMPANIST // Tomsk State Pedagogical University Bulletin. 2018. Issue 2 (191). P. 196-203

The paper analyzes the system of personages in the first and the most widely known novella of Nina Berberova, as it reflects her idea on a multitude of ways of life building in emigration. The author holds, that the system of personages in the novella is based upon the principle of binary oppositions, namely, creative – uncreative, adapted – misfit, comprehensive – incomprehensive person. The attitude towards creative side determines the choice of the route of life on behalf of a personage. However, Symbolist concept of life as a work of art is reconsidered by Berberova in accordance with her idea of self-determination of Russian émigrés, and so adaptability to changing conditions of life is also held by Berberova in high esteem, in contrast to the common notion of beggar artists. The personages embody different strategies applied to survive their situation in emigration. Giving precedence to the ways of creative persons (Travina and Ber), Berberova gives her critical account of other survival strategies. Cooperation with the Communist regime is shown as materially advantageous, but amoral (Senya); keeping everything as it was in Old Russia is shown as a dead-end (Pavel Fyodorovich, guests of the Travin’s house in Paris). The path of Sonya the Accompanist, devoid of creativity and human understanding, lacking self-determination, full of hatred and envy, is shown as self-destructive.

Keywords: Russian émigré literature, short prose of Nina Berberova, system of personages