The Logic of the absurd in Gogol's The Story about Quarrel
Vol.30,No.1(2020)
Abstract
Keywords:
Gogol'; world; space; quarrel; chaos; alogism; absurd
Pages:
7–17
The author studies the features of the logic of the absurd in Gogol's The Story about quarrel. The functions of chaos in the plot of the story are considered. The reasons for the transformation of the space of Mirgorod into chaos, which serves as a form of expression of the absurd, are revealed. The forms of attack on the city of chaos forces and the destruction of borders between chaos and man are shown. The ways to recreate in the story the atmosphere of the creation of the space of Mirgorod and the principles of ironic rethinking of creation myths are demonstrated. The important connection between the mythical past and the mythologized present in the history of Mirgorod is underlined. The spoiled gun, which caused of the quarrels of the heroes, is considered as a symbolic thing that is directly related to the time of creation. The similarity of the heroes of the story with simpletons and fools from an anecdotal tale is noted. Revealing the illogical nature of the plot events and actions of the heroes, the author interprets the absurd as the essence of the world depicted by Gogol.
Gogol'; world; space; quarrel; chaos; alogism; absurd
7–17
References
BOČAROV, S. G.: O stile Gogolja. In: Teorija literaturnych stilej: Tipologija stilevogo razvitija Novogo vremeni. Moskva: Nauka, 1976.
GOGOL', N. V.: Polnoje sobranije sočinenij: V 14 t. T. II. [Moskva–Leningrad]: AN SSSR, 1937.
MANN, Ju. V.: Poètika Gogolja. Variacii k teme. Moskva: Coda, 1996.
MELETINSKIJ, Je. M.: Istoričeskaja poètika novelly. Moskva: Nauka, 1990.
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