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ARCHETYPICAL CONCEPT “BETRAYAL”: A VARIANT OF CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN LITERATURE (V. MAKANIN)

A. Stankevicha

Abstract

The novel about the Chechen War “Asan” (“????”, 2008), where the concept “betrayal” has a structure-forming function, is the most significant text among the ones written by V. Makanin during the past decades. Key lexemes (it is repeatedly emphasized by the author himself) explain what is happening in the society: “to turn in” – “to betray” – “to sell”. The novel “Two Sisters and Kandinsky” (“??? ?????? ? ??????????”, 2011) constructs the concept “betrayal” in the context of the history of an individual human being and the Russian society of the 20th century, when a snitch (betrayer) was the most important figure in the state. In V. Makanin’s prose, in contrast to the narrow political interpretation widespread in the society, there are presented almost all types and kinds of betrayal: starting from betrayal in personal relations between a man and a woman, betrayal of a friend, violation of a social compact, betrayal of a strata or a state, and coming to the most terrible in the opinion of the writer ego-betrayal, i.e. oblivion of one’s ideals and principles (the most terrible in the opinion of the writer). The analysis of the novels by V. Makanin leads to the conclusion that the dyad “loyalty – betrayal” is the core in his world view, and “loyalty” is almost of a sacred character, and “recovery” of the society is possible only if it returns to a new “sacrum”.

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