The concept of "alcohol" in A. S. Pushkin's novel "The Stationmaster"

I Chzhan ORCID: 0000-0003-4533-1690 PhD in Philology Postgraduate student; Department of Russian Language and Methods of Teaching; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia yizhang@rambler.ru

Mikova Svetlana Stanislavovna ORCID: 0000-0003-3874-7110 PhD in Philology Associate Professor; Department of Russian Language and Methods of Teaching; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia mikova_ss@pfur.ru

Introduction

Currently, researchers are increasingly attracted to the study of the relationship between language, culture and man in the context of reflecting objective reality in literary works. This kind of analysis is often carried out on the basis of a comparison of two types of worldview: national and author's. It is important to understand that the writer's own vision of reality has a secondary character. N. N. Boldyrev in this case notes that the reason for this phenomenon lies in the process of comprehending the acquired knowledge, as well as cognitive schemes. That is why the understanding of the phenomena of reality at the national level has a primary character due to the fact that it represents a "collective vision of a specific society" ^{[3, p. 34]}. The author's worldview, in turn, is verbalized through various linguistic means that express the conceptual sphere and the picture of the world of the writer himself.

In this regard, there is a need to study individual representations that objectify the content of the concept through artistic images. Since the concept is a unit of memory and mental education, the study of literary texts will provide an opportunity to identify its structure and cognitive features.

The consideration of the work of the great Russian writer A. S. Pushkin in the context of the content of the concept "alcohol" is due to its role in the development of literature and national culture of Russia. According to V. S. Nepomnyashchy, the poet managed to reflect the spirit of the Russian people in his works in an original way, as a result of which his work was transformed into a national myth, which contains information about the nation's ideas about everyday life ^{[10, p. 27]}.

Literature review

Many researchers are currently exploring the concept of "concept" in various fields of linguistics. However, it should be noted that it has long been strengthened in philological science, but to this day its unified definition has not been developed. S. G. Vorkachev characterizes the concept as an "operating system of thought" ^{[5, p. 43]} and "an operational unit of memory, a conceptual system, a mental lexicon and the whole picture of the world" [Ibid., p. 43]. 52]. I. A. Sternin and Z. D. Popova consider the concept as a "global thinking unit" or "quantum of structured or experienced knowledge" ^{[12, p. 4]}. N. F. Alefirenko suggests that the concept is a multi-layered and complex mental formation, which includes not only conceptual or everyday content, but also and evaluative meanings expressing a person's attitude to an object ^{[1, p. 33]}.

It should be noted that with a large number of approaches, linguocognitive and linguocultural are currently more justified and supported. It should be noted that the above approaches have certain differences: in linguoculturology, the concept is studied from culture to individual consciousness, while the concept in cognitive linguistics is from individual consciousness to culture.

E. S. Kubryakova, I. A. Sternin, Z. D. Popova, V. N. Telia, etc. They are representatives of the linguocognitive approach. They define a concept as a phenomenon that generalizes and models the cognitive activity of a subject. The concept of "alcohol" in A. S. Pushkin's work "The Stationmaster" is a reflection not only of the cultural, but also of the cognitive traditions of the Russian people, expressing their attitude to alcohol as a symbol of life and philosophical categories. The analysis of the concept allows us to identify the peculiarities of the perception of alcoholic beverages in the context of the mentality of society and the daily life of the characters.

The "Short Dictionary of Cognitive Terms" contains a different definition of the concept: "a term that provides an opportunity to explain the mental or mental resources of consciousness, as well as an information structure reflecting the acquired experience and knowledge of a person" ^{[7, p. 89]}. I. A. Sternin defines the concept as a thinking unit of a complex nature, which in the course of mental activity actualizes proper layers and features ^{[12, p. 27]}. At the same time, he notes that the structure of the concept can be diverse and multi-layered, and therefore its model cannot be closed. That is why a concept can undergo changes over time, and the information contained in it can move from one conceptual layer to another. From this it can be concluded that the concept model proposed by I. A. Sternin looks like this: core — base layers — interpretative field.

The linguocultural definition of the concept is the opposite of the linguocognitive one. Its basis is the study of crystallized knowledge from the point of view of culture and cognitive consciousness. It also defines a system of human values, as well as social, cultural and linguistic experience. Among the representatives of this approach, it is necessary to mention D. S. Likhachev, V. N. Neroznak, V. I. Karasik, V. A. Maslova, etc. Within the framework of this approach, the concept is the result of a person's cultural experience or a basic unit of culture. V. A. Maslova in her works formed the concept of "key concepts of culture". They represent the basic components of the worldview, which have the same meaning and significance not only for the individual, but also for society ^{[9, p. 51]}. Based on the results of his research, the author concludes that currently there are a large number of concepts that play a significant role in human activity. Yu. S. Stepanov characterizes the concept as "the main cell of culture in the mental world of man" ^{[16, p. 44]} and as "a reflection of culture in human consciousness and a form of representation of cultural knowledge" [Ibid., p. 40]. According to T. G. Popova, concepts should be considered as cultural formations containing the objective content of words. The author also points out that linguistic and cultural concepts in their content reflect different types of human activity, as well as the conceptual interpretation of the surrounding reality ^{[13, p. 54]}. In turn, E. I. Sarycheva argues that the concept should be considered as abstract concepts that include cultural information, acting as one of the elements of the conceptual core ^{[15, p. 233]}.

M. Yu. Evloeva and M. Yu. Evloeva consider the concept as an element of human consciousness, the formation of which is influenced by the following factors:

1. Verbal and non-verbal communication;

2. Mental operations with other concepts;

3. A person's personal experience, knowledge, etc.

At the same time, the authors also note that concepts include the contents of cultural concepts and phenomena, and therefore their study provides an opportunity to determine the degree of interaction between culture and language ^{[6, p. 36]}.

O. M. Burenkova in her research also examines the structure of the concept and comes to the conclusion that it can undergo changes ^{[4, p. 42]}. The reason for this phenomenon is as follows: the signs of the structure can change over time, as a result of which new concepts can be formed. That is why it is not always possible to present a complete and exhaustive structure of the concept.

An important issue in the process of studying a particular concept is how its content is expressed using language. Concepts are guides to extralinguistic reality, and therefore their contents in national cultures can be expressed in different ways under the influence of pragmatic, cultural and linguistic factors. That is why B. Y. Norman argues that the content of the concept is expressed through a lexical element, phrase, sentence, legend or myth, as well as by means of a paralinguistic nature ^{[11, p. 23]}.

Special attention in the framework of this study should be paid to such an expression as "the poetics of drunkenness", which was formulated by V. V. Chemist in his famous work entitled "The poetics of low, or colloquialism as a cultural phenomenon". Russian Russian literature describes such features of collective consciousness from the point of view of nomination and understanding of situations of drinking alcoholic beverages as versatility, creativity and multi-aspect ^{[18, p. 67]}. A. G. Boychenko considered the features of the representation of the concept of "Drinking" in the Russian language as a reflection of the value picture of the world of the Russian people. Among them, a special place is occupied by an edifying and instructive character, as a result of which drunkenness is regarded as a socially dangerous action. However, the joint consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Russian picture of the world is considered as a rite or ritual, in connection with which it receives social approval and is considered as a sign of hospitality as a feature of national character ^{[2, p. 3]}.

The results of the study

In the story "The Stationmaster" by A. S. Pushkin, alcohol functions not only as a household element, but also as an important symbol of philosophical reflections. Alcohol consumption reflects the various states of the characters: from joy and fun to sadness and loneliness. It is important to note that the consumption of alcoholic beverages serves as a symbol of the connection between life and death, showing how the traditions of the feast can be transformed into symbols of degradation and isolation. At the same time, the use of alcoholic beverages in the following cases: acquaintance of the main characters of the story, curiosity, gratitude, holding a friendly conversation and fighting longing and sadness. It is noteworthy that some of the reasons are positive due to the fact that in the Russian culture of the XIX century alcohol often played a role not only in everyday life, but also in the symbolism of social relations. The feast was an important ritual symbolizing unity, hospitality and friendship. In Pushkin's The Stationmaster, the punch drinking scenes emphasize the social bonds between the characters, as, for example, in the episode with Samson Vyrin and the narrator. In this scene, punch not only brings them closer together, but also serves as a catalyst for the narrative. In other cases, alcohol consumption alone is considered as drunkenness and is regarded as a socially dangerous action, which caused the death of Samson Vyrin.

The concept of "alcohol" in A. S. Pushkin's novel "The Stationmaster" is divided into several categories:

1. The reason for drinking alcoholic beverages;

2. The name of the subjects of alcohol consumption;

3. Designation of containers;

4. Names of alcoholic beverages;

5. Places of alcohol consumption;

6. Description of the condition of a person under the influence of alcohol.

As part of the consideration of the concept, it can be determined that the following aspects are expressed in the context of its structure:

1. Philosophical — the use of alcoholic beverages as a ritual and tradition, as well as an expression of friendliness;

2. Household — the expression of objects, objects and situations of alcohol consumption.

The concept of "alcohol" in the "Stationmaster" expresses not only everyday categories (reason for use, subjects, drinks), but also philosophical aspects. Thus, collective alcohol consumption symbolizes friendliness and social ties, while Vyrin's solitary drunkenness is associated with decline and loneliness. This highlights Pushkin's ambivalent attitude towards alcohol as a symbol of life and death.

Russian Russian writers can trace such trends in many other works, which in general accurately expresses the mentality of the Russian people.

The peripheral zones of the concept, which express the semantics of life and death, are associated with the following categories: "alcohol" — "joy" — "company" — "freedom" and "alcohol" — "sadness" — "loneliness" — "imprisonment". The key categories in both cases are "company" and "loneliness", which is associated with the mentality of the Russian people and their values. This is due to the fact that, as mentioned earlier, collective consumption of alcoholic beverages is socially acceptable, and individual consumption is considered a dangerous action both for society and for the individual himself. At the same time, alcohol in the "Stationmaster" is not limited only to positive or negative categories such as "joy" and "loneliness". It symbolizes both social communication and isolation, which reflects the contradictory nature of the Russian society of the XIX century. On the one hand, the scenes of collective drinking, as in the punch episode, emphasize the importance of common traditions and hospitality. On the other hand, Samson Vyrin's story illustrates how alcohol becomes a sign of social degradation when he goes into drunkenness after losing his daughter, losing his identity and social status.

Discussion

In the study, special interest was paid to the expression of the ideals, attitudes and features of the writer's worldview in the context of considering the concept of "alcohol". That is why the story "The Stationmaster" by A. S. Pushkin was chosen. An important component of the research was the conceptual analysis, which provided an opportunity to determine the worldview and worldview of the linguistic personality of the writer himself and the characters of the story.

The concept of "alcohol" in the story "The Stationmaster" is subject to the conceptualization of an individual character, as a result of which it forms artistic images of traditions. They reflect the specifics of the mentality of the Russian people. At the same time, the concept under consideration is characterized by a complex structure that expresses the philosophical and everyday aspect of drinking alcoholic beverages.

As for the household layer of the concept of "alcohol", it can be divided into several groups within the framework of the study of the story "The Stationmaster":

1. The reason for drinking alcoholic beverages is curiosity: "Curiosity began to bother me, and I hoped that the punch would resolve the language of my old acquaintance." ^{[14, p. 6]}; gratitude: "The Hussar handed him twenty-five rubles for the visit, invited him to dine; the doctor agreed; both ate with great appetite, drank a bottle of wine and parted very pleased with each other." [Ibid., p. 7]; friendly conversation: "I offered her father a glass of punch; I gave Dunya a cup of tea, and the three of us began to talk as if we had known each other for a century" [Ibid., p. 5];

2. The name of the subjects of alcohol consumption — "There are a lot of them in St. Petersburg, young fools, today in satin and velvet, and tomorrow, you'll see, they're sweeping the street along with a gol pub" [Ibid., p. 10];

3. The designation of the containers is "These tears were partly aroused by the punch, of which he pulled out five glasses in the continuation of his narrative; but anyway, they strongly touched my heart" [Ibid., p. 10];

4. Names of alcoholic beverages — punch, wine, rum;

5. Places of alcohol consumption — a pub;

6. Description of the condition of a person under the influence of alcohol — intoxicated, drunk.

At the same time, the philosophical aspect of the use of linguistic units that are included in the concept of alcohol within the framework of the analysis of the story "The Stationmaster" is the expression of a friendly attitude. As an example, the following plot situation can be cited: In gratitude for the opportunity to change clothes and drink tea, the main character of the story offers the stationmaster to drink punch. In this case, the use of alcoholic beverages as a ritual and tradition is traced, as well as the expression of the motive of gratitude. In this regard, it should be noted that the basis of the philosophical aspect of the concept of "alcohol" are two categories — friendship and peace. For A. S. Pushkin, the motive of drinking alcoholic beverages in the framework of the story "The Stationmaster" is closely related to such categories as "friendship", "fun", "festive table" and "freedom", because at the first meeting with the stationmaster and Dunya, he talked "as if they had known each other for a century" [In the same place, p. 5]. At the same time, in this plot situation, it becomes possible to discover another relationship of categories: "alcohol" — "love" — "muse". The fact is that the main character of the story at the first sight was struck by her beauty. So much so that after the conversation in the hall, he asked Dunya for a kiss, perhaps using punch "for courage."

At the same time, the linguistic units of the concept of "alcohol" can reflect the motives of loneliness, longing and oblivion. Samson Vyrin, the stationmaster, could not accept that his daughter, Avdotya Samsonova, had left him with Captain Minsky. When asked about the fate of the caretaker, Pivovarov's wife replied that "I got drunk, father" [Ibid., p. 11]. In the same episode, A. S. Pushkin's motive for drinking alcoholic beverages is gradually transformed into a ritual action, which symbolizes death. The concept of alcohol in the story "The Stationmaster" by Pushkin reflects complex mental processes that are associated with cultural and social traditions. In this context, it is important to note that alcohol consumption is not limited to everyday phenomena, but is associated with emotional and philosophical categories. For example, the scene where Samson Vyrin gets drunk after Dunya leaves illustrates not only the physical influence of alcohol, but also its metaphorical connection with inner emptiness and loss.

An important part of the concept of "alcohol" in the story is its connection with social decline and degradation. However, Dunya's fate is not so much related to alcohol consumption as to the social conditions of her life in St. Petersburg. Alcohol is more symbolic of the loss of control and decline of her father, Samson Vyrin, who starts drinking after she leaves. This is most vividly reflected in the following example: "There are a lot of them in St. Petersburg, young fools, today in satin and velvet, and tomorrow, you'll see, they're sweeping the street along with a gol pub. When you think sometimes that Dunya, too, may disappear right there, you will inevitably sin and wish her a grave..." [Ibid., p. 10]. In this case, it is necessary to note the expression "gol kabatskaya". In the "Great Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian language" it is defined as "people who have fallen into complete poverty from drunkenness, debauchery, debauchery" ^{[17, p. 431]} It turns out that the content of the concept "alcohol" is filled with objectified ideas about people who often drink alcoholic beverages and their inherent characteristics: poverty, debauchery, debauchery and drunkenness. Yu. M. Lotman notes that the reason for the emergence of "goli kabatskaya" is connected with the culture and way of life of the XIX century. Drinking and festivities represented a protest against the regulated rules of behavior in society, since the life and upbringing of a Russian person was within the bounds of decency and theatricalization of social activity, which was the reason for the desire to disregard social restrictions and the desire for freedom ^{[8, p. 519]}. From this it can be concluded that the concept of "alcohol" in the literary works of A. S. Pushkin is a fundamental philosophical category.

It is also necessary to note the figurative component of the concept of "alcohol" in the story "The Stationmaster". It is expressed as an artistic image that is filled with the semantics of life and death. The semantics of life are associated with feasting, creativity, fun and love. This is especially vividly expressed in the episode where the main character meets Avdotya Samsonova for the first time: "The little coquette noticed at a second glance the impression she made on me; she lowered her big blue eyes; I began to talk to her, she answered me without any shyness, like a girl who has seen the light. I offered her father a glass of punch; I handed Dunya a cup of tea, and the three of us began to talk as if we had known each other for centuries" ^{[14, p. 5]}. This is one of the two peripheral zones of the concept of "alcohol" in the story "The Stationmaster", which is expressed through the relationship of the following categories: "alcohol" — "joy" — "company" — "freedom". In turn, the semantics of death is expressed in grief, loneliness, sadness, helplessness, etc. This is most clearly seen in the episode where Samson Vyrin tried to understand why he let his daughter go with Minsky: "Finally, in the evening, he arrived alone and intoxicated, with the devastating news: "Dunya from that station she went on with the hussar"" [Ibid., p. 8]. This represents the second peripheral zone of the concept "alcohol" in the "Stationmaster", expressed by the interconnection of the following categories: "alcohol" - "sadness" - "loneliness" - "imprisonment".

In the process of determining the frequency of use of the words included in the concept of "alcohol", it can be established that "punch" is the most common name. The reason for this choice is that this drink causes mild intoxication, which disposes to communication and a sense of freedom. This thesis is confirmed by three situations in the story:

1. The first meeting of the main character and Dunya: "The little coquette noticed at a second glance the impression she made on me; she lowered her big blue eyes; I began to talk to her, she answered me without any timidity, like a girl who has seen the light. I offered her father a glass of punch; I gave Dunya a cup of tea, and the three of us began to talk as if we had known each other for centuries" [Ibid., p. 5];

2. The meeting of the main character and Samson Vyrin a few years after Dunya's departure: "Curiosity began to bother me, and I hoped that the punch would resolve the language of my old acquaintance. I was not mistaken: the old man did not refuse the offered glass. I noticed that the rum cleared up his sullenness. On the second glass, he became talkative; he remembered or pretended to remember me, and I learned from him a story that greatly interested and touched me at that time" [Ibid., p. 6].

3. Samson Vyrin's story about the fate of Dunya: "These tears were partly aroused by the punch, of which he pulled out five glasses in the continuation of his narration; but anyway, they strongly touched my heart. After parting with him, I could not forget the old caretaker for a long time, I thought about poor Dunya for a long time..." [Ibid., p. 10].

At the same time, the concept of "alcohol" in the story "The Stationmaster", as well as in other literary works by A. S. Pushkin, is linguocultural due to the fact that it expresses the values of the people. It should be noted that the core of the nominative component of the concept "alcohol" is expressed in the description of the process of drinking alcoholic beverages and is filled with the meaning of a rite or ritual in terms of dating, having fun and discussing life problems. There is confirmation of this: in all key plot situations, alcoholic beverages in the form of punch, wine and rum are present. From this it can be concluded that the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the framework of the story "The Stationmaster" is an obligatory element that reveals the character and emotional state of the characters. Among the most common places of alcohol consumption in the text is a pub. The fact is that in the 19th century the state sought to increase the level of civilization of alcohol consumption, and therefore pubs were replaced by taverns, where it was possible to order food for drinking. That is why A. S. Pushkin uses the expression "gol kabatskaya" to express the national understanding of the place in question for the consumption of alcoholic beverages. At the same time, the novel demonstrates the writer's ambivalent attitude to alcohol — on the one hand, it is a symbol of life, on the other — death, expressed in a negative assessment of the state of alcoholic intoxication.

Conclusion

As a result of the analysis of the concept of "alcohol" in A. S. Pushkin's novel "The Stationmaster", it can be concluded that this concept performs important cultural, symbolic and philosophical functions. Alcohol in the text represents not only the everyday side of the characters' lives, but also serves as a tool for conveying deeper meanings related to human emotions and social interactions.

The collective consumption of alcoholic beverages symbolizes hospitality, unity and friendly relations, as can be seen from the scene of the protagonist's acquaintance with Samson Vyrin. At the same time, individual drunkenness reflects alienation, loneliness and social isolation, especially in the fate of the caretaker himself after the departure of his daughter. Alcohol in Pushkin's story acts as a double symbol: on the one hand, it is a symbol of fun and company, on the other — a sign of despair and loss.

Thus, the concept of "alcohol" in "The Stationmaster" helps Pushkin to reveal the complex relationship between social traditions and the inner world of the characters, emphasizing the tragedy of their destinies. However, this concept cannot be considered as a central philosophical category in Pushkin's work, but rather as a significant element reflecting the specific features of Russian culture and mentality.