Article

Name: The thanatology of A. Platonov’s early prose

Authors: Proskurina Elena Nikolaevna, Borisova Alice Borisovna

Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Study of literature

Abstract: The paper is devoted to the identification and analysis of the mortal, plot and motive complex in Platonov’s early prose. High frequency of «death» situations in the works of the writer is noted by many researchers. However, almost all works on this problem are related to his works of the second half of the 1920s–1930s where the thematic space of death was already formed. The symbolism of many repeating plot situations (a child’s death; destruction of a class enemy), motifs (orphanage; constructional victim; spiritual death-revival; apocalypse), images (house-grave, «old» world / substance and other) was defined in the same time. Analysis of death in works of Platonov’s early prose researchers is usually missed. However, it represents sufficient scientific interest – concerning continuity and difference, both thematic and semantic. In this paper we will try to show sources from which Platonov’s thanatology grows, and to mark difference in perception of death by creative consciousness of the writer in early and late periods at the same time.

Keywords: early prose of a. platonov, motif, plots of death, thesaurus of death

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