What and why does E. G. Vodolazkin’s hero read: the reading motif and its manifistation in the novel Chagin

Abstract

This article explores literary self-reflection, which can be defined as a literary reflection on the reader within the context of the novel Chagin by E. G. Vodolazkin. The research subject is the reading motif, which captures various modes and forms of interaction between the protagonist and the literary texts that form his reading circle. The work reveals the connection between the reading motif and the main themes in the nov el, such as love, crime and punishment, sin and redemption, the meaning of life, fate, as well as the relationship between fiction and reality in life and creativity. The article analyzes how this reading motif is manifested in the plot, which ultimately leads to the universal “plot of reading”, and the figurative system of the novel. The research also defines the main functions of the read ing motif. They are plot, characterization, hermeneutic (using a literary work as a way to interpret one’s own life), modeling (using a literary work as a new foundation for life practice), and met aliterary function revealing the author’s understanding of the nature of the relationship between life and creativity. The author concludes that the reading motif is unique, structurally and conceptually signifi cant, and its functionality is considerably expanded in the novel Chagin. The reading motif shows Vodolazkin’s attitude towards literary tradition, the relationship between art and life, as well as the ability of art to influence and even transform reality.