THE ECHO OF V. A. ZHUKOVSKY’S WORKS IN N. V. GOGOL’S STORIES “NEVSKY PROSPEKT”, “THE PORTRAIT”, “THE OVERCOAT”
DOI: 10.23951/1609-624X-2022-4-107-120
Introduction. The creative heritage of N. V. Gogol to this day encourages many literary critics to productive studies. In particular, researchers are interested in the intertext of V. A. Zhukovsky in the works of the writer. When considering the works dedicated to the personality and creativity of Gogol, it is really difficult not to find a mention of this Russian poet, since he was important for Gogol’s creative consciousness. In this regard, the purpose of the article is to determine the degree of Gogol’s acquaintance with Zhukovsky’s work during the writing of the “Petersburg Stories”. It is also important to identify and analyze the motives, plots, allusions and reminiscences of Zhukovsky’s works in Gogol’s stories. This will help to see the peculiarities of Gogol’s mastering of the poet’s works, to identify the transformations that Zhukovsky’s discoveries used by him have undergone in Gogol’s artistic system. Material and methods. Since most of the references to Zhukovsky’s work are present in Gogol’s stories “Nevsky Prospekt”, “The Portrait” and “The Overcoat”, the study will be organized on the basis of them. Biographical and comparative research methods are used in the work. Results and discussion. In the story “Nevsky Prospekt”, the narrator describes a refined, creative nature. A similar type often appears in Zhukovsky’s lyrics. In addition, the features of Zhukovsky’s idyll are revealed in the description of the image of the stranger Piskarev met: simplicity is glorified in it and the hero’s desire for harmony and purity is obvious. You can also pay attention to the fact that the artist deifies the young person he met. Probably, in her image, the author tried to reflect the highest manifestation of female beauty on earth, which for Gogol-Christian, of course, was the Madonna. In this case, the feelings of the young man are similar to those described by Zhukovsky in the aesthetic manifesto “Raphael’s Madonna”. However, the beauty leads Piskarev to a brothel. His idealistic consciousness cannot admit that beauty and vulgarity can be synonymous. This correlates with the principles of kalokagatiya, which were common in the Russian literature of the Romantic era and were reflected in the works of Zhukovsky. Having failed to resolve the conflict between reality and dream, Piskarev resorts to opium sleep, which, replacing life for him, becomes one of the factors that led to the tragic denouement, because, seeing his personal paradise in a dream, the artist increasingly moves away from reality and, ultimately, loses the ability to real life. In the features of the story’s plot, one can see the transformation of the idyllic motifs of Zhukovsky’s works. Faced with reality, Piskarev loses his mind. Such a finale is correlated with the plots of ballads which were translated by Zhukovsky. In them evil tempts and lures the unfortunate victim into a trap, and then takes his / her life (“Der Taucher”, “Erlkönig”). Thus, beauty for Gogol is no longer a sign of good. He comes closer to understanding the true beauty and the false beauty of Zhukovsky’s balladeer, shows the fragility of harmony in the world. The novel “Portrait” is considered by some researchers as an aesthetic manifesto of Gogol. This also suggests following the traditions of Zhukovsky. In addition, the two-part structure of the story may refer to the architectonics of Zhukovsky’s story “The Twelve Sleeping Maidens”. Her two ballads “Gromoboi” and “Vadim” are also opposite in their ethics and have ideological similarities with Gogol’s story. In the work, one can also find plot echoes with such works of the poet as the ballads “Lyudmila” (Lyudmila’s grumbling at fate is similar to Chartkov’s behavior) and “Varvik” (the character’s sin also provokes the appearance of otherworldly forces, which is a kind of warning and test). It can also be mentioned that Zhukovsky’s rebel heroes, dissatisfied with their lot, as a rule, suffer a painful defeat and their soul goes to hell. Something similar is happening with Chartkov. As for the second part of the story, it also has common features with Zhukovsky’s manifesto “Raphael’s Madonna”, because Gogol’s icon painter creates a picture that literally “breathes” divine grace. In the story “The Overcoat”, humanistic and Christian motives are revealed. The main character does not expect a better fate, but humbly fulfills his official duties. Children’s enthusiasm and sincerity, coupled with a truly zealous service, turn him into a real ascetic. Bashmachkin’s purity and love for people, as well as his self-sacrifice, allow us to say that his behavior is akin to chivalry, which was characteristic of the main character of “Don Quixote of La Mancha”, the translator of which was Zhukovsky. However, having received “God’s mercy” in the form of a greatcoat, which could well personify a “beautiful lady”, Bashmachkin is no longer so zealously performing his service. The tragic ending of the work can be connected with this. Similar ethical laws apply in the art world of Zhukovsky. Nevertheless, after death, the official returns to true service: by returning in the form of a ghost (which is the image characteristic of Zhukovsky’s works) to a significant person and other high-ranking officials to pick up overcoats, he restores a certain balance in the world. Thus, the universal justice inherent in the artistic world of Zhukovsky is being actualized again. Conclusion. The “Petersburg period” of Gogol’s work is closely connected with Zhukovsky’s creative activity. Gogol gets acquainted with the poet’s lyrics and publicism, actively reflects on what he found in it. It is important to emphasize that Gogol directly assimilates the aesthetics and poetics of Zhukovsky, after which he reproduces certain aspects of the poet’s creativity in his works, subjecting them to his own creative processing, which in general contributed to the formation of the writer’s unique genius.
Keywords: N. V. Gogol, V. A. Zhukovsky, “Nevsky prospekt”, “The Portrait”, “The Overcoat”, story
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Issue: 4, 2022
Series of issue: Issue 4
Rubric: LITERARY STUDIES
Pages: 107 — 120
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