Literary hero in modern Russian intellectual novel of the XXI century

Nasr Mukhamed Talkha ORCID: 0000-0003-4018-7183 PhD in Philology Educator, the department of Russian Language, the faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University 11566, Egypt, Arab Republic of Egypt, Giza, st. Ali Mansour, 8 nasertalha04@gmail.com Other publications by this author

Introduction. The modern literary process seems to be quite difficult for the researcher. This is due to the fact that analyzing the work, the researcher ignores the stages of the development of modern prose or uses as methodological material for the analysis of works of art created during the late 80s or early 90s of the XX century. The modern space of the literary process is difficult to systematize, it has no clear boundaries and directions, the works are fragmented and chaotic. ^{[5, p.52]}

The relevance of the problem under study. In the intellectual literature of the XXI century, the same questions are raised as those asked by writers of past eras, but in the specifics of the modern Russian intellectual novel, we note some contradictions that distinguish it from this genre variety of past years. It should be noted that the intellectual novel as a genre has a number of features – the conceptuality of the text of the work, literary experiments with the text, active involvement of the reader in the text, intertextuality, myth-making, stylistic excess.

The relevance of our article is caused not only by the insufficient study of the work of A.A. Astvatsaturov, but also by the interest of literary studies in the study of the theme of the literary hero in the modern intellectual novel. Because a new type of literary hero appears in the literature of the XXI century. This hero does not perform heroic deeds, and is not endowed with bright spiritual qualities. The hero of a modern intellectual novel is a "man of the crowd", a loser from whom no one expects bright heroic deeds. Such a hero appears on the pages of the work "Do not feed and do not touch pelicans" by Andrey Astvatsaturov, a modern Russian author.

The purpose of the study is devoted to the key issue of modern literature – the role of the literary hero in the Russian intellectual novel of the XXI century. In the process of research, we set ourselves the following tasks:

1. To determine the place of A.A. Astvatsaturov's novel "Do not feed and do not touch pelicans" in the modern literary process.

2. To analyze the intellectual novel by A.A. Astvatsaturov according to the main features of the genre.

3. Consider the structure of the literary hero A.A. Astvatsaturov.

The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time we are conducting research on the theme of a literary hero in the modern intellectual novel by A.A. Astvatsaturov "Do not feed and do not touch pelicans".

The subject of the study of this work is the role of the literary hero in the intellectual novel by A.A. Astvatsaturov "Do not feed and do not touch pelicans", and the object of the study is the literary hero in the modern Russian intellectual novel of the XXI century.

The methodological basis of the work was the works of literary critics M.M. Bakhtin^[3,4], A.Y. Chernyak^[20], G. Nefagina ^[15], I.G.Morgenstern^[14], L.O. Ginzburg ^[8], V.Khalizeev^[19], V.I.Tyupa^[17], S.N.Broitman^[17],N.D.Tamarchenko^[17] D.S. Likhacheva^[13] V.V.Fedorova ^[18] and others.

The paper uses the method of literary analysis, comparative method and typological research methods.

There is no clear classification of literary trends in the modern Russian literary process, and the modern literary space practically defies systematization. There is no hierarchy among literary trends, the works of various authors are not clearly separated, but there are several fairly successful classifications of modern literary works. These include the classification of A.Y. Chernyak ^[20], G.Nefagina^[15], I.G.Morgenstern^[14], who share the following directions in the development of modern fiction.

According to this classification , the stages of development of the modern Russian intellectual novel can be divided into:

1. Neoclassical direction. Writers of this direction address the social and ethical problems of society. The distinctive features of neoclassicism are the reflection of philosophical and psychological problems in their works. Representatives of this direction – V.Astafyev, Yu.Kazakov, M.Roshchin, V.Semin, etc.^{[5, p.51]} They create within the framework of generally accepted artistic paradigms, continuing the traditions of artistic realism in their works.

2. Conditional-metaphorical direction. In this direction, one can trace the strengthening of the psychologism of the portrayal of the characters' character, the use of conventions in the plots and motives of works. A. Ya. Chernyak considers typology as a set of classifications of literary works, and notes that representatives of this direction turn to fairy tales, myth, fiction. ^{[20, p.40]} The authors of this direction can be considered F.Iskander, Yu.Kim, V.Makanin, L.Petrushevskaya, V.Voinovich, V.Rasputin, etc. The works of this direction are distinguished by new artistic forms that do not fit into the classical canons. In these works, realistic techniques and ideas coexist with mystical, fantastic and magical ideas. To characterize these works, the terms "new realism" and "metarealism" are used.

3. "Other prose", a direction that denies ideals and compiles cultural traditions with irony. This direction depicts socially shifted circumstances and characters. I. G. Morgenstern proposed to consolidate various meanings: by typing, he understood the process of classifying works or publications according to certain characteristics, he believed that the direction of "other prose" could include T. Tolstoy, V. Pietsuh, V. Yerofeyev, S. Kaledin, L. Petrushevskaya, E. Popova, A. Ivanchenko, M. Kuraeva, etc. ^{[14, p.41]} It can be noted that some works of this direction correlate with the "Conditionally metaphorical" direction.

4. Postmodernism, a trend that creates its own artistic reality using other people's quotes, borrowed cultural codes, signs and religious statements as its own. Postmodernism has replaced modernism since the second half of the XX century and the beginning of the XXI century. Postmodern authors include Venedikt Yerofeyev, V. Pelevin, V.Sorokin, T. Tolstoy, etc.

5. Post–postmodernism is a new literary trend that has been gaining momentum since the mid-1990s. But the literary direction itself is still in the process of formation.  This trend has several names - "metamodernism" or "digimodernism". This direction allows a person to comprehend himself in the real world and in the artistic space.

And if for modern literature the main literary hero is a neurotic, for postmodern literature he is a schizophrenic, then for the era of digimodernism the main literary hero is an autistic who creates his digimir and his digital universe.

We believe that for the analysis of the literary hero A.A. Astvatsaturov, it is important to understand the place of this work in the modern literary process. And Andrey Astvatsaturov's novel "Don't feed and don't touch pelicans" is located on the border of the postmodern and digimodernist trends, because this work has many intertextual borrowings, from which its own artistic reality is formed, and the main character lives in his own separate digimir. Often the work bears the signs of several genre varieties, and most of the works are created at the junction of genre forms. The main character is not in harmony with the surrounding world. He exists surrounded by things that he does not control, people next to him are not able to understand him. Anahit Grigoryan in his article notes that the writer Andrey Astvatsaturov is "a philologist, a writer, and a literary character." ^[7] This literary character is also present in other works by Andrey Astvatsaturov - "People in the Nude", "Skunskamera" and "Autumn in pockets".

The term "intellectual novel" was first introduced by Thomas Mann. The intellectual novel unites very different writers – W. Faulkner, T. Mann, T. Wolfe, G. Hesse, J. Orwell, M. Bulgakov, K. Chapek, etc. This literary direction was created when it became necessary to interpret everyday events from a philosophical point of view. The intellectual novel blurs the lines between literature and science. Andrey Astvatsaturov in his novel raises the philosophical question of free will and predestination. ^[9] We propose to analyze the work of Andrey Astvatsaturov on the main features of intellectual prose:

The conceptuality of the work is one of the fundamental categories of the text. Andrey Astvatsaturov creates a philological "novel about novels" according to German Sadulaev, in which he tries to convey his own concept of being. ^[16] There are a lot of separate layers in the novel that are interconnected. In this literary work, the "hero's world" appears, a concept that we can find in M.M. Bakhtin ^{[3, p.144]} The action of the novel begins in London in St. James's Park, and ends in St. Petersburg. In the study of N.D.Tamarchenko and V.I.Tyup, it is noted that conceptuality is inherent in any work, literary and artistic activity.Conceptuality fills the linked text with potential meanings. ^{[17, p.25]} Katya snatched Andrey from St. Petersburg to London from his familiar environment. The girl causes contradictory feelings in Andrey, he loves her, and even her rudeness and primitive speech does not repel Andrey, at the same time, he is afraid of her. Outwardly, Katya is rude and primitive – a red coat with a belt and a black wig. Andrey remembers how Katya called and called him to London in an unappreciative tone. In recent years  Andrey "does not need to decide anything, that everything happens by itself" he is "then hired, then fired, pushed somewhere, driven, dragged." ^[2]And Andrey likes this lack of the need to decide something.

Experiments with text are present in postmodern and digimodern prose. In Andrey Astvatsaturov's novel, the text of the novel is a language game, Anna Zhuchkova notes. ^[9] In the text of the novel there are repetitions at the junctions of the chapters of the novel. The author uses this technique to link the chapters of the work. At the beginning of the novel, Andrey gets into different circumstances not by his own will, but by the decision of other people or by accident. Researcher N. Ivdenko believes that the element of chance defines the event in this novel. ^{[11, p.26]} In the first part of the novel, Andrey recalls the chaos of St. James's Park. From Katya, Andrey learns that chaos penetrates into his life. Events suddenly hit him – Katya's betrayal with Gvozdev, the murder of producer Viktor, racing down the corridor of the hotel from Russian bandits. Recalling these events later, the hero notes: "Lack of will rolls in." ^[2]

As a literary hero, the writer expresses his vision of the world around him. And according to Fedorov, the poetic world of a literary work differs from the prosaic world around it. Therefore, the literary world has specific properties and laws. ^{[18, p.123]} Andrey notes that everything happens to him "like in a movie...like in a real damn movie. We are being chased, but we are being saved."^[2]

The writer tries to get away from the external reality to explore the inner state of his character. The hero throughout the work experiences a range of diverse feelings – love, jealousy, shame, fear, disappointment, etc. The character of the novel by A. Astvatsaturov does not want to understand that modernity, the modern city, the environment in which he lives inevitably penetrate into him. The space of the novel's action takes place in two major cities – in London and St. Petersburg.

The city in the novel acts as a character of the novel along with the main characters. The novel takes place in two big cities, but the reader perceives them through Andrei's worldview. The writer moves away from things to the urban landscape and internal human conflicts. ^[6]Comparing the two cities in the novel, the hero says that he is tired of London, "ironic, cold, soaked and busy with earthly affairs," and in the subway in St. Petersburg, "you go down as if you climb into a child's bed, under a warm blanket, where a pocket flashlight and an adventure book are already waiting for you.^[2] The work "Do not feed and do not touch pelicans" shows the real life of the city, and there are historical remarks about these places. When traveling around St. Petersburg, the main character notes that minibus taxis in the city are somehow "small" and "unsightly", and in London "the maze of London streets looks like the tentacles of an octopus". And the description of the urban environment is one of the strengths of this work. The novel also feels the unhurried flow of London life and the St. Petersburg gusty wind.

The reader's active involvement in the text occurs when a communicative chain arises between the reader and the writer. The text is created for a literary dialogue between the author and the reader.  The reader empathizes with the hero of Andrey Astvatsaturov's novel because he is a St. Petersburg intellectual with a complex discourse in his head who finds himself in London on the orders of the rude and primitive Katya. A series of subsequent events that happen to the main character happen to him through no fault of his own. The turning point of the novel, when the hero decides to voluntarily leave work. And this is almost the only decision that the hero makes on his own.

The text of a work begins to exist when the work is read, accepted, commented on and recommended for reading. The novel "Don't feed and touch pelicans" has a lot of responses, both positive and negative. Some readers accept the novel, some do not, but the text does not leave the reader indifferent.

In the novel "Do not feed and do not touch the pelicans", according to V. Khalizeev's theory, we see an exemplary plot of a "single action", when one life situation comes to the fore, which tends to worsen, and appears as inevitably conflicting. ^{[19, p.244]} On Katya's invitation to stay together to live in London, Andrey explains to Katya that his home is in Leningrad. And he has everything there... Katya throws Andrey out into the street.^[2] On the recommendation of Gvozdev, Andrey gets into Jack's apartment. And only at the St. Petersburg airport does Andrey find out that he has brought drugs from Jack in his suitcase. The situation seems to be completely hopeless, but thanks to a series of accidents, no drugs are found there. Missy, with whom he had a brief affair in London, gave him medical candles instead of drugs.

Back in London, the main character finds out that he is fired from his job. He is sitting alone in an apartment, without work, without money, without food. The phone numbers of friends who could help are running out in the notebook. It seems Andrey is a city pelican and a loser. Andrey finds a new job, but loses it again. When he returns to the chain of events in his memories, it turns out that he himself left the pulpit. And this self–indulgence is the hero's protest against the system.

What distinguishes the work of A.Astvatsaturov from other intellectual novels is the light irony and the language of the text. The author is ironic about his hero, because the character of the novel thinks a lot, but does not do much. And it is the intertextual irony that attracts the reader's attention. In his article, researcher O.Zabolotneva notes that "irony acts as a kind of shield, helps to hide from painful loneliness, depression, unexpected blows of fate." ^{[10, p.85]} All these techniques of intertextual irony are present in the novel "Do not feed and do not touch pelicans."

Intertextuality - the text of the novel is woven from quotations from the prose of Henry Miller, Nikolai Gogol, Viktor Toporov, Mikhail Elizarov, Eduard Limonov, referring to various cultural sources. The first part of the novel resembles Henry Miller's Paris trilogy. G. Miller's work is characterized by an interest in documentary genres – memoirs, autobiographies, diary entries, etc. ^{[1, p.103]} In addition to intertextual borrowings, almost every page of the novel mentions a writer – Elliot, Daphne du Maurier, Satre, Kant, Hegel, Berdyaev, Thomas Elliot, Henry Miller, Virgil or Robert Browning. In one context or another, literary heroes appear in the novel – Tiresias, Manon Lescaut, Jack Shepard, Harry Potter, Hamlet, etc. Katya, Andrei's girlfriend is a character in M. Elizarov's song swinger party, and there is a quote from the song in the text, so we understand that Katya is a collective character. This character is created from the qualities of a real girl and Andrei's fantasies.

Myth-making - in the novel "Don't feed and don't touch pelicans", the writer creates the world of the main character.  The world of the hero is described by D.S. Likhachev, dividing it into internal and external. ^{[13, p.274]} Most of the texts called "intellectual prose" are texts with an irrational world. The writer in the text creates a subjective reality different from the objective reality, the hero notes: "The apartment during the months that I was absent, as if it had grown old, became stuffy, small, even lower and cramped than before." ^[2] The text of the novel "Do not feed and do not touch pelicans" is not holistic, the action of the novel does not develop linearly, but follows the author's memories. Because of this, there is confusion in which reality the hero of the novel is now in – in everyday reality or in his memories. The novel is based on one event line, but the events of the narrative are interspersed with the memories of the protagonist. As a result, events sometimes have a reverse chronological character. For example, in the novel we learn a strange love story and the scandalous death of Peter Alekseevich, and then we get to know him. These signs of authenticity become the concept of the text, constantly "interrupt", send to the past, slow down the plot of the novel.

N.D. Tamarchenko and V.I. Tyupa note that myth is a figurative model of the world order, and mythological thinking is present in modern texts. Gradually, mythological thinking became the basis of artistic thinking and corresponding forms of activity. ^{[17, p.48]} Myth in intellectual prose is interesting primarily because it creates its own ritual picture of the world. Researchers E.M. Lutsenko, E.A. Pogorelaya note that A. Astvatsaturov's novel "Don't feed and don't touch pelicans" shows the scrapping of the Soviet system and the heroes are distinguished by the "perestroika consciousness of the 1990s". ^{[12, p.138]} The idea of the main plot is that every person lives at the intersection of times, the whole his life consists of meetings and breakups.

Stylistic redundancy is one of the characteristic techniques of intellectual prose. When the author shows stylistic restraint, there are no emotions in the text of the work. The text is not emotionally saturated. The reception of a restrained text is appropriate in a work when the situation in the work is dramatic. Stylistic redundancy, on the contrary, conveys the whole gamut of feelings experienced by the characters. The author describes the main character's experiences in this way: "I suddenly wanted to cry, ask for forgiveness from Missy, from Katya, from all people, from God, and make a solemn promise to change my life." .^[2] Almost the entire text of the novel is an immersion into the emotional state of the author. The text of the novel destroys the generally accepted standards of a literary work.

The structure of a literary hero is the repetitive properties of his character. Any literary character is endowed with one quality or many qualities. And its qualities can be unidirectional or multidirectional. For example, in the novel by A. Astvatsaturov, the main feature of the characters of the work is that they resemble pelicans in one way or another. An elderly professor looks like a pelican by turning his head, pelicans have a chin at Lugin, tourists also look like waterfowl begging for a handout. Katya has turned out pelican lips and watery eyes with a haze, etc. In London's St. James's Park, which is described in the book, the author saw a sign Please, do not feed or touch pelicans. This inscription refers both to birds and to the heroes of the work, who are as ridiculous and dangerous as these waterfowl.

Andrey Astvatsaturov's novel, in our opinion, can be considered as a detailed metaphor of ambivalence. The duality of the main characters and the plot organizes the novel. The ambivalence of the characters develops from the lowest level in the "author's speech" to the highest level according to M. Bakhtin of thematic heights of ideological and aesthetic content. ^{[4, p.128]} The main character of the work, all the time thinking about something, and asks himself - his opinion is twofold:  "And what? Am I a scoundrel now? I am the opposite. I have done a good deed."^[2]

In a literary work, when a writer creates a character, he models a representation of a person consisting of everyday, physiological, psychological, ethical and other qualities. The combination of these qualities creates an exposition of the main character and makes him recognizable in a literary work. The way a writer portrays his literary hero reflects his understanding of man and the empirical experience of life. The hero of Astvatsaturov's novel lives in his own separate world. In his world, nothing belongs to him – neither the woman he loves, nor the job. Money, due to lack of work, runs out quickly. In the novel, he commits truly masculine acts, despite the fact that he is a city pelican and a loser in life, he emerges victorious from a difficult life situation. For example, Andrey stood up for a colleague at the department, refused Katya's tempting offer to stay with her in London. This character is recognizable due to his individual traits. These qualities form an artistic image of a person. The hero of A. Astvatsaturov in the novel looks like a portrait of the author himself, but it is rather a character-symbol that M. Epstein mentions.^{[21, p.134]} The details of the character coincide with the author, and he himself is a separate person who expresses his original thoughts and has his own story.

The external and internal dialogue is an important characteristic of a literary hero. The inner dialogue of the protagonist in St. James's Park is an excursion into the history of the park, characterizes him as an intellectual: "Various thoughts come to my mind about the former chaos that once ruled here. St. James's Park has long since buried this chaos." ^[2]This complex of small details creates, according to the scientific work of L.Ginzburg, an artistic image of the personality of the protagonist. ^{[6, p.156]}

The main conclusions of the study are:

1. The place of Andrey Astvatsaturov's novel "Don't feed and don't touch pelicans" in the modern literary process is on the border of the postmodern and digimodernist trends, because this work has many features of postmodern works, and the main character lives in his own separate digimir. This novel, like most works, is created at the intersection of genres.

2. The text of the novel has a number of features of an intellectual novel as a genre - the conceptuality of the text of the work, literary experiments with the text, active involvement of the reader in the text, intertextuality, myth-making and stylistic redundancy.

3. The structure of the literary hero A.Asvatsaturov is the recurring properties of his character that make him recognizable among the other heroes of the work.

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