Article

Name: MOTIVE OF FREEZE IN NEWEST RUSSIAN PROSE

Authors: I. V. Kuznetsov

Novosibirsk State Theatre Institute

In the section Literary Life of the Plot

Abstract: The subject of article is the motive of freeze. It is genetically connected with the motive of cold, steady functioning in Russian literature from the beginning of Pushkin’s époque. The motive of cold is characteristic for liminal phase of archaic proto-plot; in this sensual quality it appears in literary plots too. In Russian literature from Gogol on it is linked with topics of death and demonism. Gogol’s treatment the motive of cold is continues by Saltykov. Nekrasov and then authors of Christmas tales joined motive of cold with archaic folklore conceptions. In Modern époque, in the Christmas tale of Nabokov, the motive of freeze is segregated joining with paired motive of defrost. The motive of freeze gets specific self-standing in Russian prose of 21st century. The episteme of artificial nature is peculiar to the scope of new époque. That is why the motive of freeze obtains fantastic or technological tint. It retains liminal character and tie with topic of death. In V. Sorokin’s works freeze or contact with ice is the way to find hidden Self of a hero, to fulfill his mission. In E. Vodolazkin’, M. Kucherskaya’, A. Gelasimov’s works the motive of freeze comes out in variant mode of cryogenic freeze. Moreover, in E. Vodolazkin’s “Aviator” cryogenic freeze becomes main plot-making motive. This motive also organizes around the novel intertextual field in which problematic of Russian modern (époque to which the hero of novel belongs) literature, art and culture is being actualized. Freeze appears to be the way of scientific overcoming of death in perspective of scientific revival. Hero’s family name Platonov ties his image with the name of writer in whose creation similar ideas developed most intensively. Here the division of cold and freeze motives becomes visible. Unlike the motive of cold, the motive freeze contains sema of purpose, it is luminal in emphasized perspective of transfiguration. It points to turn the motive of freeze from motive of cold’s variant to separate semantic unit. In the article employment of frequency approach gives the opportunity to see its self-dependence. Moreover, in examined texts the motive of freeze move plot situation through new event to new situation. Therefore, theoretic approaches to concept of motive induce to see the motive of freeze as reaching self-dependency in modern literature.

Keywords: motive of freeze, liminality, 21st century prose, cryogenic freeze, transfiguration

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