STYLISTIC AND GENRE ORIGINALITY OF THE NOVEL «MESOPOTAMIA» BY SERHIY ZHADAN

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STYLISTIC AND GENRE ORIGINALITY OF THE NOVEL «MESOPOTAMIA» BY SERHIY ZHADAN

Journal Title: Проблеми сучасного літературознавства - Year 2016, Vol 0, Issue 22

Abstract

The article focuses on the ambiguity of genre in the novels by S. Zhadan in terms of modern Ukrainian literary studies (a novel in short stories; a collection of stories accompanied by poems; a cyclus of lyrical short stories; an experimental literary form of urban symphony etc.). Based on the writer’s desire to create «a private mythology» of Kharkiv in its «universal mythological context», the author of the article defines the novel as systemically organized according to the princilples of literary mythopoetics, and states its features: universalization of narration (a fusion of prose and poetic narrative); a disguised parabolic structure; repetition; avoiding the name and its metonymic transformation based on the principle of a riddle etc. While analysing the genre specificity of the novel, the author observes the merging of epic forms with those of archaic lyrics, namely: psalms, hymns, Protestant spirituals, as well as blues and jazz pieces. The article emphasizes the harmony of jazz narration, which serves to create the peculiar tone of inner tension, reflects the way of dramatic thinking and shaping the reality by the heroes of the novel. The author hypothesises that the narrative strategy of «Mesopotamia» is organised according to specific rules of jazz and blues songs («the jazz square»). Observing the composition of the chapters of the novel («Marat», «Ivan», «Lucas»), she demonstrates the pattern of developing the main theme in the similar scenarios: a short introduction, leading the reader into the plot (the murder of Marat and his funeral — the theme of the jazz song); representation of the events by each of the heroes (the solos of musical instruments, variations and their developing, the so called step variations — changes they undergo in every short story) etc. Thus, every hero has his own voice but only when all the voices are gathered in a jazz-band may we get the whole view. This specific jazz poliphony goes against the traditional hierarchical structure of the narrative and can be termed as decentration. The author claims that the main idea of the novel can be viewed as a leitmotif of Zhadan’s writing on the whole. It represents the constantly repeated nucleus of his mythology: the problem of choice and human behaviour in a critical situation, personal self-discipline and motivation, gratitude and responsibility. This main idea, according to T. Meyzerska, is closely connected with the historical and cultural context of archaic communities (the idea, which S. Zhadan himself implies), as well as «the relationship within the environment and the ability of people to cooperate» (L. Metchnikov). The author concludes that this universal becomes dominant both in perceiving the title of the novel and its implicit sense-making mechanisms.

Authors and Affiliations

Tetiana Meyzerska

Keywords

novel mythopoetics jazz narrator decentration parable metonymy

EP ID EP391986
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