Paradoxes of chronology in the novel “Doctor Zhivago” by B.L. Pasternak

Abstract

The interpretation of time in the novel by B.L. Pasternak “Doctor Zhivago” is discussed. The role of 1918 in the book is noted: firstly, the novel was conceived this year, and secondly, it describes the events of this year. It is indicated that, starting from the post - revolutionary period, time in the novel loses its accuracy and linear character, begins to unfold unevenly, reflecting the perception of events by the main character - Yuri Andreevich Zhivago. The authors assume that the nonlinearity of time, its free perception are connected with the awareness of what is happening by the hero of the novel and with the influence that the revolution had on him. The analysis of the interpretation of time in the novel shows that it is not the events, not the historical time that become important in it, but the development of the hero together with the whole country, that is, personal and public time. The description of the events of 1918 in the novel reflects the transformations of time: some events are depicted in detail, others are only mentioned. It is concluded that the historical time in the novel by B.L. Pasternak becomes next to the psychological, depending on the perception of events by their participants, and the work itself becomes both a psychological novel and a historical one.