The poetics of the author's situativeness in the story "The Sisters of the Cross" by A.M. Remizov

Guseva Ekaterina Vladimirovna PhD in Philology Associate Professor; Department of Russian Language, Literature and Journalism; Mari State University 424002, Russia, Republic of Mari El, Yoshkar-Ola, Pushkin str., 30 ekatguseva@yandex.ru

Introduction

Alexey Mikhailovich Remizov (1877-1957) was a talented Russian writer of the XX century. His name is often mentioned with the names of I. A. Bunin, I. S. Shmelev, B. K. Zaitsev, L. N. Andreev, V. V. Rozanov, I. A. Ilyin and other prominent representatives of the literature of the Russian abroad.

Ivan Alexandrovich Ilyin, a contemporary of the writer, a philosopher, a subtle connoisseur of the creative heritage of A.M. Remizov, reflecting on his creative manner, noted:

"All people are peculiar. We are all one of a kind, unique and, taken as a whole, do not look like anyone. Every person who is born brings with him a whole new world, and every dying person takes with him a unique charge of energy and a non-repeating combination of life tasks. But all these peculiar personal worlds are endowed with not too dissimilar organs of bodily and mental perception, contemplation and expression, and therefore they are able to communicate and to a certain extent understand each other. Moreover, many people have the gift of catching someone else's originality and adapting to it, as if modifying their perceptions, contemplations and expressions "on the go". And so, Remizov's creativity requires just such a modification and adaptation" {1, p. 271}.

I. A. Ilyin writes that in order to read the works of A.M. Remizov, you need to tune in a special way, concentrate on his perception of the world, and this is not an easy task.

The phenomenon of A. M. Remizov and his creative legacy arouses genuine interest to this day, both among foreign researchers (Katalin Seke, Anna Beryoznyak, Antonella d'Amelia, Halina Vashkelevich, Olga Petrovna Raevskaya-Hughes, etc.) and among Russian (A.M. Gracheva, E. R. Obatnina, V. N. Bystrov, E. V. Vakhnenko, N. Y. Gryakalova, A. A. Danilevsky, S. N. Dotsenko, O. A. Lindeberg, etc.) {2}.

Researchers of A. M. Remizov's creativity are interested in a variety of aspects that are reflected in his works. So, Greta Slobin is interested in the question of the formation of the genre in the works of the writer written before 1921 {3}. Katalin Seke is interested in the poetics of A.M. Remizov {4}. A.M. Gracheva explores the traditions of Ancient Russian culture in the texts of the writer {5}. One of the last works is devoted to the problems of the writer's language and style, where the author comes to the following conclusions: "Summing up, we can conclude that in the 1930s Remizov continued to improve his "theory of the Russian fret". At this time, he clearly formulated the idea that “Russian way” is a writer's style, which is a synthesis of vocabulary and syntax. In the 1940s and 1950s, Remizov not only promoted the “theory of the Russian way” in his own works of art, but also made it the basis of his practice as a literary “teacher”. Russian Russian literature In the last years of his life, the writer has been thinking a lot about the correlation of this "theory" with the history of the development of Russian literature" {6, p. 370}. N. L. Blishch studies autobiographical motives {7}. I. P. Karpov considered the writer's work in the paradigm of the autology of Russian literature {8}. N. N. Starygina emphasized in her works dedicated to A. M. Remizov, on the commentary of the text {9}. E. V. Guseva has researched and continues to study the problem of duality and the poetics of the writer's texts {10}.

The purpose of our work in this article is to study the poetics of the author's situativeness in the story "The Sisters of the Cross" by A.M. Remizov.

Tasks that we set: 1) highlight the situations in which the characters are in the story; 2) classify the highlighted situations; 3) highlight several situations and analyze the poetics of the author's situativeness.

The relevance and scientific novelty of our work lies in the fact that, despite numerous studies and works devoted to the work of A.M. Remizov, there is no unified approach to the problem of the poetics of author's situativeness within the framework of the global problem of the author's duality of the writer. Therefore, the study of the poetics of the author's situativeness in the story "The Sisters of the Cross" requires a detailed analysis.

The research material in this article is the story "The Sisters of the Cross" by A.M. Remizov. It should be noted that the work was published in 1910 in the literary and artistic almanac of the Rosehip publishing house. R. V. Ivanov-Razumnik wrote:

"Alexey Remizov's novella The Sisters of the Cross (1910) finally drew the attention of the "reading public" to this writer – one of the largest and most original in modern Russian literature. And indeed, the story is beautiful, moreover, in many respects it is the "central thing" of A. Remizov's work, the key to this creativity. After reading the Sisters of the Cross, you involuntarily return to the beginning to re-read it again and again, and you re-read it with a joyful and heavy feeling: the heavy impression of the content of this thing is oppressing, and at the same time you feel joyfully that you are standing face to face with a truly large work of fiction by a great writer" {11, p. 57}.

The story "The Sisters of the Cross" was highly appreciated during the writer's lifetime. Contemporaries tried to make sense of the literary text, argued, reasoned about the book they had written. Let's turn to the analysis and we.

The concept of situativeness and author's situativeness was presented in detail in the scientific works of Professor I. P. Karpov {12}. We will rely on the definition given in the Dictionary of Autological Terms (Yoshkar-Ola, 2012). It should be noted that, despite the repeated analysis of the story "The Sisters of the Cross" by researchers, this work requires detailed and further study.

Let's turn to the concept of situation. "Situation (French. Situation) – a situation, a situation, a set of circumstances" {13, p. 25}. The author's situativeness in our understanding is a set of situations that the author uses when creating a work of art.

Thus, the story "The Sisters of the Cross" compositionally consists of six chapters. In each chapter, one or another author's situation can be distinguished: the situation of work, the situation of murder, the situation of moving, the situation of illness, the situation of dreams, the situation of fortune-telling, the situation of traveling to the next world, the situation of prayer, the situation of a miracle, the situation of travel, the situation of death.

The author's situativeness is closely correlated with the global problem of A. M. Remizov's creativity by the author's duality. Therefore, we classify all situations according to their belonging and correlation with the phenomenal world and the noumenal world. Between these worlds, there is usually a woman. "Eternal Femininity in Russian classical literature, the main features of which are self-sacrifice, patience, realizes itself in various versions of love: this is love—pity (Katerina Kabanova - Tikhon), love—self-oblivion (Vera - Pechorin), love-patience, love — crazy passion. We find all these kinds of love in the works of A.M. Remizov. But, in addition, in his female images there are also features of the ideal femininity of the Silver Age era. Remiz's heroines are distinguished by mystery, mystery, mysticism, beauty, infernality, they exist as if at the intersection of the real and unreal worlds" {14, p. 10}.

Poetics of the fortune-telling situation

Akumovna and Adonia Ivoilovna

In Russian literature, one of the leitmotives is the tradition of fortune-telling. "Remizov turned to the tradition of the Russian folk faith, the oral texts of which were recorded in the collections of the XIX century. Among his sources were Tikhonravov's ”Renounced Books of Ancient Russia“, ”Spiritual Poems" collected by Kirsha Danilov, epics, epics and cheap editions such as dream books and fortune-telling books.

Lotman believes that every literary text is based on the structural tension between two aspects of the narrative: mythologizing, in the light of which the text is a model of the universe, and plot, which depicts a particular episode of reality" {15, p. 109}. A.M. Remizov in the story "The Sisters of the Cross" repeatedly models the author's situation of divination. Akumovna is a heroine who tells fortunes to the residents of Burkov at home.

In the second chapter of the story, the author at first simply points out the situation of fortune-telling: "Every day Akumovna interprets dreams, and in the evenings she guesses at cards over tea. Akumovna can guess both on willow and on carriage candles, and in winter by the pattern on the glass — on frosty flowers, but most likely she guesses on cards" {16, p. 120}.

The author does not accidentally depict in the narrative the situation of fortune-telling and all its possible variants. The main character can predict fate by willow twigs, and using candles, and see secret signs in the patterns on the glass, but most of all she trusts the cards. All this is a magical rite and a desire to look into the future, to gain secret knowledge. So, the situation of fortune-telling directly correlates with the problem of the author's doublespeak of the writer.

The author's fortune-telling situation is depicted in detail in the second and fourth chapters of the story. In the second chapter, the author depicts Akumovna guessing Adonia Ivoilovna. In the fourth chapter, Marakulin. In the sixth chapter, the author again only briefly mentions that the heroine is engaged in her favorite activity: "Akumovna lovingly laid out cards for Sergei Alexandrovich" {16, p. 190}.

The situation of divination has its own structure in the narrative. This is the entrance of the heroines into the situation, stay and exit. The peculiarity is that Remizov uses a ring technique. The entrance to the situation fully corresponds to the exit: "Autumn evening. It's raining outside in St. Petersburg. From the gutters, the water is thudding on the stones with a dog's howl. The Belgian electric lantern shines through fogs and smoke, hesitantly, like the moon. There is one light in the window of the Obukhov hospital" {16, pp. 120-121}.

The autumn chronotope, rainy evening, fog, smoke, comparison of the lantern with the moon — a symbol of otherworldly forces and only a small light — everything is a kind of frame for the magical rite of divination.

In the center of the fortune-telling situation, at the moment of stay, there are two heroines: Akumovna and Adonia Ivoilovna. The author's chrontopic view of the situation narrows to the limits of Adonia Ivoilovna's small room: "In the extreme room — in a stuffy room at Adonia Ivoilovna's samovar sings — it does not survive, it is full and hot, steam escapes," the singer began to play a game. The samovar sings for all rooms.

Akumovna is not in the kitchen, Akumovna has cards with Adonia Ivoilovna, Akumovna is guessing" {16, p. 121}. As we can see, the author focuses on the subject of home comfort — a samovar, over a cup of tea, which involves frank conversations.

The author depicts the process of divination itself: "The samovar goes out and his singing is quieter and Akumovna's voice is muffled:

— For the house. For the heart. What will happen. How it will end. Than calm down. What will surprise you. Tell the whole truth with a pure heart. What will happen will come true.

And the map must come out unclean, all unimportant, all dark" {16, p. 121}. The emotional background at the moment of the fortune-telling situation of the heroines increases. The author uses the gradation technique, Akumovna's voice is becoming more and more muffled and Adonia Ivoilovna's tears are a kind of emotional discharge, since the result of divination turned out not the way the heroine wanted.

"Adonia Ivoilovna is crying. And how could she not cry? They buried her husband at the Smolensky cemetery, and she wanted to put him in the Nevsky Lavra: relatives insisted, they did not listen to her. He was kind to everyone, helped a lot, but they didn't like him. She was the only one who loved him, and they didn't listen to her. And in the cemetery, the earth under it goes away, the earth collapses" {16, p. 121}.

The stay of the two heroines in a fortune-telling situation ends with a refrain:

"— You can't blame anyone! — suddenly Akumovna says" {16, p. 121}.

Akumovna and Marakulin

"The peasant woman Akumovna, whom the author himself calls "divine", is the central figure—the antipode of Marakulin, introduced into the system of characters in the story according to the compositional principle of contrasting two images to each other" {17}. In the fourth chapter of the story "The Sisters of the Cross", the author depicts the situation as Akumovna is guessing the main character Marakulin. This situation is presented much more voluminously than the situation of fortune-telling by Adonia Ivoilovna.

Compositionally, the situation is a ring. The entrance and exit from the situation is indicated by the following words: "The summer dragged on endlessly, languidly monotonous" {16, p. 149; p. 152}.

The time and place of fortune—telling are summer evenings in the Burkov House: "In the evenings, Akumovna used to tell Marakulin at the samovar, like Adonia Ivoilovna in winter at the samovar. She guessed a lot and generously, not only on him, the king of clubs, or, as Akumovna said, the cross king, but also on other kings and ladies — the cross, the chervonnaya, bubunova, the peak, on all those faces that came out to him on the cards, in order to find out their fate, and the more likely to inquire who they were, and what is on their minds" {16, p. 149}.

So, binary oppositions are built in the situation of fortune-telling: winter-summer and at the same time, we understand that the process of divination Akumova heroes lasts a whole year.

The narrative notes the result of divination: "The card did not lie. It's the same thing, some kind of nonsense: a little boredom, a little money, a little change, a little tears, annoyance, a young lady, her own house and thing, a noble important gentleman with a paper, a government house, a young lady boredom, a little unpleasant, her own troubles, her own conversation. And Marakulin remained constantly at his own conversation" {16, p. 150}. This is a kind of mystical answer of cards to the hero's questions, and it is not always joyful.

"Akumovna will decompose for the last time, she will whisper the last words:

— For the house. For the heart. What will happen. How it will end. Than calm down. What will surprise you. Tell the whole truth with a pure heart. What will happen will come true.

And for the last time, it's all the same — one card: some stupid one and his own conversation.

The card didn't fit. And only sometimes, the cards must have got bored and they got angry: they began to mock — they would show a big change or there would be a big road, big money, fulfillment of desires" {16, p. 150}.

The situation of fortune-telling is expanded due to the insertion stories that Akumovna tells Marakulin in the process of fortune-telling: "Over the cards, Akumovna often recalled her mistress, the old master, the lady's brother and her son, and what dreams someone had, and before what they dreamed, and what kind of dream means" {16, p. 150}.

So, the author portrays his characters in the story in difficult life circumstances. The situation of fortune-telling is an opportunity for them to look into their future, to believe that fate will be favorable and everything will be fine in the future, and Akumovna is a kind of mediator of this knowledge of the phenomenal world and the noumenal world.

The poetics of the miracle situation

In the fourth chapter of the story "The Sisters of the Cross", the author describes the situation of the miraculous recovery of the girl Vera. "A miracle is a supernatural event, action, phenomenon that violates the "laws of nature" and defies rational explanation" {18, p. 506}.

In the Russian Orthodox tradition, the situation of a miracle is perceived by a believer as a natural phenomenon, and at the same time the holy fathers warn that miracles have a dual nature and a person should not specifically strive to see a miracle.

The literary legacy on this issue is huge. I would just like to note that today there are various materials and books on this topic. One of the most popular books in recent times is "The Unholy Saints and Other Stories" by Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov {19}.

Akumovna is one of the first heroines of the story to learn about the wonderful situation in the life of Vera. The author assigns this heroine the role of a carrier of a variety of knowledge.

"Having sheltered the girl from the street, Akumovna jealously defended the girl from the Burka connecting rods — Stanislav the clerk and Kazimir the fitter, and in the evening she often locked the kitchen before dark and put the girl on her bed under three unquenchable lamps for safety. And she called Faith miraculous so because a miracle was performed on her" {16, p. 147}.

The semantics of the name is expanded by the adjective miraculous. So, an element of a miracle is laid in the life and fate of the heroine.

"Verushka," Akumovna answered, and smiling and looking somehow foolishly from the side, "miraculous" {16, p. 147}.

So, the appearance of a miraculous Verushka in the Burkov Courtyard is the entrance to a miracle situation.

The stay is Akumovna's story to the main character of the story Marakulin, the story of a miracle that happened in the girl's life.

"She was miraculous," Akumovna said, "she was tongue—less until she was five, she didn't speak, and they showed Nikolai Frantsevich to the doctor, there was no use, and her mother took her to the Grieving One, they also advised her, she walks barefoot to Matryonushka, and on dark Friday they went to the Powder Factories, the procession on Ilyinsky Friday at the Powder Factories — twelve icons are worn and up to a thousand small ones, all sorts, they defended mass, began to gather home, and she drank and asked: "Mom, give me a drink!". Since that time he has been saying" {16, pp. 147-148}.

In this episode, the hero of the phenomenal world is contrasted – the doctor who could not cure the girl and the neutral forces, thanks to the appeal to which the girl was healed. Healing is preceded by an appeal to sacred images – the Mother of God, the Holy Matryonushka, participation in the procession and a prayer appeal to higher powers. Symbolic mention of the twelve icons. As a result of such contact with the sacred forces of the noumenal world, prayer in front of objects with symbols — icons gave its result — the girl spoke.

The way out of the situation is the author's depiction of the situation as two worlds intersect in the real world. The hopeless situation is resolved and the higher sacred forces participate in the fate of the heroine.

The poetics of the situation of prayer

In the narrative, the author's situativeness is presented unevenly. Some situations are given in full, expanded, and some are only indicated. For example, a situation of prayer, in the center of which is the home prayer of the heroines. In Orthodox literature it is noted that "Prayer is a person's appeal to God, in which he praises and praises His greatness, thanks for the mercies shown, confesses and repents before Him of his unworthiness, expresses personal needs and petitions. When performing a prayer, attention to the spoken words is necessary, enclosing the mind in them. Prayer has its own stages: from the external, vowel, i.e., spoken by the mouth of prayer to the inner silent and non-dispersed thoughts of standing before God with a united mind and heart. The peak of prayer is communion with God and contemplation of God" {20, pp. 300-301}.

It is important to note that in the narrative the author initially mentions the situation of divination, and this is known to be a great sin, and then points to the situation of supplication.

"In the last room, in the stuffy room, Adonia Ivoilovna has three unquenchable lamps. Adonia Ivoilovna prays for a long time. And in the kitchen — in the kitchen, saturated with a tenacious sterlet spirit and dried mushroom, Akumovna has three inextinguishable lamps. Akumovna prays for a long time.

— Ships, ships! — a voice is heard at night through tearful snoring.

And he is answered by another from the other end in a muffled voice:

— It is impossible to blame anyone!" {16, pp. 121-122}.

Conclusion

The author's situativeness of A. M. Remizov is the objectification of the writer's worldview and the reflection of these views in the writer's works, in this case in the story "The Sisters of the Cross".

Marakulin — the main character of the story stays in almost all situations. The author gives this hero the author's ability of world vision and world perception.

The author indicates or depicts in detail in the artwork a variety of situations: birth and death, the situation of work and its loss, the situation of moving from one space to another. One of the most terrible situations is the situation of murder and suicide, which is repeated in many of the writer's works, for example, in his first novel "The Pond". The situation of illness and dreams, the situation of divination and supplication, the situation of a miracle and perhaps one of the brightest, the situation of one of the heroines of Akumovna's story in the other world.

Within the limits of the author's situativeness, all situations depicted in the literary text can be classified as situations of the phenomenal world and situations that relate to the noumenal world.

The situations of fortune-telling, miraculous healing of a girl and prayer correlate with the noumenal world. The author's fortune—telling situation is an inherently infernal situation. It is not by chance that the subject of the image are maps. The situations of the miraculous healing of the girl Vera and the situation of the prayer of Akumovna and Adania Ivoilovna are sacred. Therefore, the author simply points out these situations in the literary text, there are no detailed descriptions of home prayer, since this is a sacrament.

The situation of divination, miracle and prayer is closely related to the problem of the author's doublespeak of the writer. At the center of this problem is a character who is always forced to look for an answer to the question of how to live and what to do? Thus, in the Remiz model of the world and the author's situativeness, the earthly and the otherworldly are intertwined. Heroes are always faced with a choice: sin or repentance?

The author's situativeness of A.M. Remizov is a kind of mix in which the characters are looking for their way and answers to the most important questions of life.

"Psychological development of character, psychological motivation of actions, especially subtly revealed in situations of moral choice by F. Dostoevsky, is replaced by Remizov's mythological motivation. For him, this is reflected in persistent biblical motives projected onto human destinies. There are only two extreme points — the path to God and the path to the Devil, the choice is in fact fatally predetermined" {21, p. 70}.