Pavlik Morozov in Post-Soviet Reality (based on V. P. Krapivin's novel "The Bronze Boy)

Abstract

The object of the analysis is V. P. Krapivin's novel "The Bronze Boy". The subject of the study is the representation of the image of Pavlik Morozov in this work. The purpose of the study is to identify the author's concept of the image and fate of Pavlik Morozov in the novel by V. P. Krapivin. The cultural-historical method of analysis allows us to see how the moment of the change of the country's political course was reflected in the literary text and determined the views of the hero of the past era. The method of holistic analysis helps to determine how the title of the novel and plot parallels contribute to the creation of the image of a child victim of socio–political struggle and cruelty of the world. The scientific novelty of the article is determined by the fact that the image of Pavlik Morozov in "The Bronze Boy" was not previously the subject of special study. The study leads to the following conclusions. V. P. Krapivin shows that Pavlik Morozov is not a traitor, but a victim of a clash of socio-political interests. In the past, his image was made a symbol of devotion to social values, and in the era of the 1990s, shown in the novel, he was again given the role of a symbol, but already negatively labeled. The deheroization of the image of Pavlik Morozov in the era of the 1990s is evidence of the moral failure of society, from the point of view of V. P. Krapivin. The analysis of the multidimensional meaning of the novel's title allows us to conclude that for the writer, the story of Pavlik Morozov has a universal character and this is due to the fact that adults sacrifice the interests of the child. In addition, this is the tragedy of a person who committed an act for high reasons, which from a formal point of view can be perceived as odious. In this regard, Pavlik Morozov in the figurative system of the novel has doubles, with which plot branches are connected, deepening the tragic beginning. The results of the study may have practical application in teaching Russian literature of the late twentieth century.