Literary criticism

The article reveals the images of animals in the cycle of stories The Tragic Menagerie (1907) by the writer of the Silver Age L. D. Zinovieva-Annibal (1866–1907) and their role in molding the character of the heroine. These images perform several functions. They establish the environmental discourse of the narrative, shape the moral and philosophical problem range, facilitate the religious self-identification of the main character.

The article attempts to identify the key moments of F. Dostoevsky’s presence in the context of the literary and critical declarations of the journal Zavety, primarily, by its co-editors, V. Chernov, and especially by Ivanov-Razumnik. His attitude towards the writer as a “world genius”, “the apogee of ethical individualism”, expressed in a number of articles, should be considered programmatic for this journal. A. Dolinin’s critical reception and reviews in the bibliographic department are in line with this attitude.

F. Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground (1864) exerted a considerable influence on American literature since 1940s. The works by outstanding authors beginning with Saul Bellow (Dangling Man, 1944) or Jerome Salinger’s prose and up to Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho, 1991), Percy Walker, David Foster Wallace, show a persistent fascination of American writers with the novella and are based on re-reading and re-interpreting Dostoevsky’s ideas, motives and imagery.

In an article dedicated to the poetic heritage of G. G. Kasmynin, an attempt is made to determine the artistic and philosophical paradigm of metaphor in the poet’s creative method, the metaphorical picture of the world of his poetry is actualized, opposing the time of decay, the tragic consept of the historical frontire, when the author’s talent reached its peak.

This article first novel Gaito Gazdanov regarded as a software product, and his final words appear eydologicheskoy install ation implemented in subsequent nove ls. Romantic creativity is analyzed in the context of the prose of the writer. The eidological complex “Dream of Claire” is transformed into the teleology of the author’s metaromaniac cycle.

The article analyzes the similarity of the actions of the hero in the story “Knives” by V. P. Kataev and the character functions in Russian fairy tale. In order to establish the commonality of the story “Knives” and the Russian fairy tale, a comparison is made and the relationship between the actions of the hero of the story and the character functions in the fairy tale is determined by the monotony and compositional sequence.

The article shows the significance of the issue of the number and membership of the units of proletariat writers. Specific data is presented on the largest Volga region cities. The rapid growth of Saratov Proletarian Writers Association is being emphasized. The information on publishing process in ASSR of GP is given to show the disproportional allocation of funds.

The article examines the reading of a child at the beginning of the twentieth century in connection with the question of its influence on the world of childhood in the work of A. Platonov. The study of the pre-revolutionary reading of children is of historical and literary interest, it can help in identifying specific texts from the early reading of the writer, in defining traditions that influenced the world of childhood in Platonov’s prose and shaped it, the genesis of children’s images, and the search for allusions.

The article examines the transformation and functioning of the myth of Venus Anadyomene in the early lyrics by A. Kruchenykh in the context of the main trends of the futurism aesthetics and literary/painting studies on Venus-Aphrodite iconography of 1910-1925. The myth remains at the level of the plot basis as a relic; however, there is a shift of emphasis from the female ideal of beauty and cultural symbol to the male figure, usurping the power of creation.

The article studies the reception of the Anglo-American writer Lafcadio Hearn in Russia. The author analyzes the literary influence of L. Hearn on K. Balmont and his individual mythology, reveals the connection with such Russian cultural figures as S. Eisenstein and P. Florensky. The essay “Living God” by L. Hearn is compared with its translation by K. Balmont. The use of color in works by L. Hearn is considered from the standpoint of Eisenstein’s sound and visual correspondences.