from 01.01.2005 to 01.01.2025
Zernograd, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation
UDC 80
The article examines the system of recurring characters in Alexander Kabakov's collection "Moscow Tales." The compositional role of these characters is highlighted: they connect the tales of the cycle, creating a unified narrative space and essentially turning the cycle into a novel. The main recurring characters are examined, their role in the text is determined, and an attempt is made to evaluate their symbolism. It is revealed that, through his recurring characters, the writer created images of people typical for Moscow and Russia in general during the post-perestroika period. These include businessmen, politicians, show business figures, police officers and security agency employees, officials, a gangster, a kept woman, a "walker," a veteran of military conflicts, etc. Particularly prominent are representatives of the so-called "deep people," who outwardly appear normal, but in fact, by their very existence, demonstrate the flaws of the norm entrenched in society. Recurring characters help Kabakov creates a satirical panorama of contemporary Moscow, achieving a sense of "recognition" in the reader, and expressing his authorial position indirectly, through a system of images and situations. Through recurring characters, the writer highlights what most angers him in his contemporaries: stupidity, greed, lack of empathy, indifference, and so on. The recurring characters in "Moscow Tales" are not simply a technical device but an essential element of the author's artistic concept.
fairy tale genre, "Moscow Tales", A.A. Kabakov, recurring character, compositional role, symbol, system of images
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