Феномен ненадійного наратора в українській прозі ХХ століття: історико-літературний вимір

Abstract

У дисертації досліджено феномен ненадійного наратора в динаміці літературних форм ХХ століття. Виокремлено тенденції виникнення ненадійної нарації в українській літературі 20-30-х рр. ХХ ст. і на цій основі простежена закономірність її майстерної реалізації у прозі В. Винниченка («На той бік»), Миколи Хвильового («Я (Романтика)»), В. Домонтовича («Доктор Серафікус»), Майка Йогансена («Подорож ученого доктора Леонардо…»), Ґео Шкурупія («Двері в день»). Проаналізовано типи ненадійного наратора у постмодерністських романах Ю. Андруховича («Рекреації», «Московіада», «Перверзія»). Доведено, що українські письменники переосмислювали традиції класичної літератури та творили іншу прозову конструкцію, заґрунтовану на експериментах з принципами організації та структуруванням художнього тексту, жанрами й викладовими формами. Наголошено, що у творах ХХ ст. (окрім «Я (Романтика)») простежуються ознаки карнавалізації й актуалізується меніппея як жанрова традиція, в якій співіснують кілька фабул і сюжетів, а ненадійний наратор ускладнює наративну структуру. У кожному творі виділено ознаки ненадійної нарації та охарактеризовано ефект, нею зумовлений.

The thesis investigates the phenomenon of unreliable narrator in the dynamics of literary forms of the twentieth century. The tendencies of the development of unreliable narration in the Ukrainian literature of the 20-30's of the XX century are characterized. The performed analysis allows to prove the skillful use of unreliable narration technique in the prose of V. Vynnychenko (“On the Other Side”), Mykola Khvylovyi (“I (Romance)”), V. Domontovych (“Doctor Seraphicus”), Mike Jogansen (“Journey of Dr. Leonardo”), Geo Shkurupiy (“Doors in a Day”). The types of unreliable narrator in the postmodern novels by Yu. Andrukhovych (“Recreations”, “Moskowiada”, and “Perversion”) were also analyzed. It was proved that each of the writers bypassed the traditions of classical literature and created completely different prose texts, based on the experiments with the structural principles of literary compositiont, genres and narrative forms. The author argues that in a number of texts (except for “I (Romance)”) we can trace the manifestations of carnivalization and actualized menippeah as a genre tradition in which several plotlines and subjects coexist, and an unreliable narrator is the major component of a higher structural level of composition. Therefore, it is important to single out the primary story, which in this context is closely linked to the act of storytelling in general and the unreliable narrator in particular. The focus is on the stylistics of the text, characterized by increased emotionality and expressiveness. Thus, special attention is paid to the motivation of the provocative behavior of a narrator. The researcher identified the homodiegetic narrator who conceals oneself as a source of storytelling in V. Vynnychenko’s “On the Other Side”. As a result, the reception acquires a dual outline and the reader cannot give an unambiguous assessment of the characters and specify the events throughout the text. The protagonist tells his story from a third person and pretends to be an intellectual, but а reader through the unreliable signals interprets the story of a pseudo-intellectual with dubious moral values and beliefs. The research outlines the specific features of the narrative structure in the short story “I (Romance)” by Mykola Khvylovyi. The author used the technique of bifurcation and created two plotlines in one story: the first plot tells about moral trials and spiritual torment, the second outlines the becoming a communist and the faulty nature of the ideology itself. The category of doubt has taken on global forms and the recipient is overwhelmed by contradictory feelings, because through the means of romanticization, a positive attitude is formed towards the villain. It was found that in this narrative strategy, the ideological position of the narrator is distant from the position of the author and humanistic issues dominate. Partiality is identified as the main reason for the narrator's unreliability in V. Domontovych's novel “Doctor Seraphicus”. It is determined that a minor character Korvyn, trapped in a love triangle, is an actual storyteller. Personal interest causes the creation of an unreliable narration. We could define the distinctive features of menippeah in the novels “Doors in a Day” by Geo Shkurupiy and “Journey of Doctor Leonardo” by Mike Jogannsen. We established that a metagenre narrator is always unreliable, and the archetype of such storyteller is a trickster, who provokes a contradictory interpretation. The research analyses a new form of Mike Jogannsen's intellectual novel, based on the game with the reader and the structure of the work. The primary story written by an exotic narrator Don Jose Pereira describing of Dr. Leonardo’s journey with a beautiful Alcesta to the so-called Switzerland of Slobozhanshchyna. There is a paradoxical phenomenon in the text, when the narrator speaks directly about the schematic structure of the plot and the fictional characters that proves experimentation with both the form and the reception, but it is difficult for the readers to perceive it, since they have no similar experience. In Geo Shkurupiy's novel “The Door of the Day”, Theodore Guy is considered an unreliable narrator, describing his life and justifying dubious moral and ethical qualities. The text repeatedly emphasizes that he is in a state of changed consciousness (intoxication, opium), and most of the text consist of his dreams, delusions and visions of the character-narrator. Of particular interest is a figure of the narrator in the trilogy by Yu. Andrukhovych. In the novel “Recreations” the unreliable narrator acts as a director, who organizes the festival “Holiday of the Rising Spirit”. A parallel plot is the story of poets arriving in Chortopil. The main feature of an unreliable narrator is the hidden “voice” of Pavlo Matsapura in his own text. This is proved by his grand appearance in the finale, which accompanies the act of self-disclosure. The double nature of Otto von F. is viewed as a peculiar technique that determines the effect of unreliability in the novel “Moskowiada”. Opposition of the voices You-I is the basic principle of the text structure, and the style of storytelling brings to the forefront a category of doubt, since several versions of the events often coexist. Reality and unreality are intertwined; the narrator recognizes that his credibility is seriously compromised and, at the same time, he emphasizes the faithful character of his story. Yu. Andrukhovych achieves this effect with the help of genre features of menippeah and the narrative strategy of an unreliable narrator. The pastiche novel “Perversion” is the most complex in structure. The work differentiates the mask of the author, the mask of the narrator, the mask of the character, who all play special roles in the text. The novel violates the moral, ideological, religious norms, as well as the principles of text composition. It should be noted that the narrator is engulfed in many versions of events; he does not hide the uncertain nature of his story, including fiction, memory lapses, and shortsightedness. The “perverted” character changes names, personifications, and behavior. Tus, each work outlines the features of an unreliable narration and the resulting effect. It was proved that understanding of the above phenomenon allows to express meanings and to activate the role of the reader in the understanding of modern and postmodern texts.