The symbolism of tea in F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel Demons

Abstract

The article examines the multifaceted symbolic representation of tea in F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel Demons. The authors analyze the functions of this image to state the problem of its role in revealing the ideological content and poetics of the work. The methodology is based on a com prehensive analysis of the text of the novel, involving literary criticism (I. V. Burdin), philosoph ical thought (V. Solovyov, Viach. Ivanov), as well as historical and cultural contexts (V. I. Dahl’s dictionary, folk proverbs) and autobiographical materials. The study employs mythopoetic, bio graphical, and comparative historical methods.

It reveals the key functions of the tea symbol: communicative (“invitation to conversation”), characterological (indicator of the relationship between the characters), plot-forming, and ideo logical. The authors focus on how the temperature of the drink (“hot”, “warm”, “cold”) serves as a key to understanding the inner world of the characters, drawing parallels with biblical sym bolism. They conclude that tea in Demons is a complex, multifunctional symbol that actualizes the essential motives of the novel, such as temptation, emptiness, false unity, and the tragic disin tegration of connections. The proposed analytical approach allows for a fresh perspective on the evolution of symbols in Dostoevsky’s later work.