“THE FRESH WIND, AND BLACK THOUGHTS” OF ST. PETERSBURG (BASED ON THE NOVEL BY N. F. PAVLOV, “THE DEMON”)
DOI: 10.23951/1609-624X-2020-3-7-13
Introduction. The author investigates the novel “The Demon” by Nikolai Filippovich Pavlov, whose name is little known to a wide range of modern readers. The purpose of the article is to analyze the main motives and images of the story about “the poor official”, which is based on one of the main subjects of Russian literature of the XIX century. Material and methods. The material of the study was the work included in the collection “New stories”, published in 1839. A comprehensive analysis of the text using cultural-historical and comparative-historical methods is undertaken. Results and discussion. The main techniques used by Pavlov to create motives and images are antithesis and contrast. In the system of characters of the story the central place is occupied by the image of St. Petersburg. “The giant of the North”, combining good and evil, appears as an independent character with a contradictory fantastic force that suppresses the will, changes the minds and destinies of people. Such a city is close to Dostoevsky’s Petersburg, who called it “the most fantastic” and “intentional”. The main character is an elderly, poor official, whose image is close to the characters of Dostoevsky (Makar Devushkin) and Gogol (Akaky Akakievich). Marrying a young beauty only increases dissatisfaction with life. The order of St. Anne, which the character dreams of, becomes a symbol of happiness and success. For the sake of this, he goes to a step contrary to morality and common sense-skillfully offers his wife as a lover to his boss. This idea comes to him as a “diabolical obsession” sent by St. Petersburg. A similar development of the storyline “official-wife” occurs in the story of A. P. Chekhov “Anna on the neck”. Similar are the reasons for the marriage of women, the ways chosen by their husbands to improve their situation, as well as the result of family and human relations of characters. Conclusion. In the disclosure of the theme of “the little man” Pavlov was the successor of the traditions of A. S. Pushkin and the predecessor of Gogol, Dostoevsky, Chekhov. The novel “The Demon” was a confirmation of the judgment that the works of writers “not the first magnitude” should not be forgotten.
Keywords: romantic story, image, “little man”, St. Petersburg, plot, motive
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Issue: 3, 2020
Series of issue: Issue 3
Rubric: TOPICAL ISSUES OF LITERARY CRITICISM
Pages: 7 — 13
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