Novel ‘Tashkent — the Bread City’ by Alexander Neverov in Context of Russian Prose about Homeless Children in 1920s
https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2023-12-5-310-327
Abstract
This article examines Alexander Neverov’s novel ‘Tashkent — the Bread City’ in the context of the tradition of Russian prose about homeless children that emerged in the 1920s. Despite thematic similarities with other works about homeless children created during the same period (such as a protagonist who is left to fend for themselves and forced to find food and learn independence and responsibility), Neverov’s novel stands out due to several key features. Firstly, it is characterized by an abundance of naturalistic descriptions, depicting diseases, hunger, and numerous deaths during the period of the Volga famine without romanticizing the life of little vagabonds. Secondly, the plot unfolds in a fairy tale-like narrative structure, with the road becoming a chronotope — a small protagonist sets out on a distant journey, which is constructed as a series of trials and deprivations that become his initiation and on which he is helped by “magical assistants” (a sister of mercy, a head of an orphanage, and a train driver). Finally, biblical allusions are woven into the narrative, with the symbols of bread, Paradise, and dogs taking on symbolic roles. The journey itself is perceived as a symbolic journey of the soul towards eternal life and Paradise. This article contributes to the research on Russian prose about homeless children in the 1920s and sheds light on the unique features of Neverov’s novel.
About the Authors
O. Yu. Osmukhina
National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Olga Yu. Osmukhina - Doctor of Philology, Professor, Head of the Department of Russian and Foreign Literature.
Saransk
N. V. Chekasheva
National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Nadezhda V. Chekasheva - postgraduate student, Department of Russian and Foreign Literature.
Saransk
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Review
For citations:
Osmukhina O.Yu., Chekasheva N.V. Novel ‘Tashkent — the Bread City’ by Alexander Neverov in Context of Russian Prose about Homeless Children in 1920s. Nauchnyi dialog. 2023;12(5):310-327. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2023-12-5-310-327
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