Religion in the identity structure based on Serhiy Zhadan novels

Анотація

Religion is an important component of Ukrainian society and culture, but we are currently in a situation of reconstructing national identity, so the question is which place religion will take in the new construct? The formation of religion in the structure of identity, in addition to the media, is also influenced by literature, but this influence is more complex and contains hidden intentions, so the analysis of religion in the identity structure of modern literary works is relevant and not enough studied. The works by Serhiy Zhadan stand out with a special outrageousness, including images of a religious orientation. At first glance, it seems that in these texts the author deconstructs, destroys and speaks ironically of the established religious images and symbols, demonstrating the uselessness of religion in modern society. However, the outward outrage hides the attempts to cite examples of identity construction, in which religion is given a certain place. The aim of the article is to consider the representation, dynamics of development, artistic functions, and role of religion in the structure of character identity in Serhiy Zhadan's novels of 2004–2017 (“Depesh Mod” “Voroshylovhrad”, “Internat”). Methods of classification and modelling, sociopsychological, and hermeneutic interpretation, comparison, deconstruction, and methods of postcolonial studies have been used in the analysis. The study has found that religion has a different role and value in each of the novels. In “Depesh Mod”, religion is presented as an “another” phenomenon that is abstract and incomprehensible and has no real embodiment; the narrator speaks ironically of the bearers of religious identity, but at the same time takes quite seriously the image of Jesus. In “Voroshylovhrad” religion acts as a phenomenon of “own” and plays almost the most important role in the formation of group identity of the character; moreover, here we have a sample of religion, where abstract ideas are reconciled with the material world and values. In the “Internat” the emphasis is on the formation of national identity, and therefore the author addresses religion much less, demonstrating its inability to answer the question “own – another's” in terms of national identification. These three texts also present examples of the deconstruction of religion: religious images and symbols are presented in real-life situations far removed from the traditional religious context of Scripture or the temple. The novelty of the article lies in the problem posed, because the study of religion in the structure of the identity of works of art has little attention (in contrast to the study of intertextual links between literature and the Bible). The practical significance is an idea of studying religion in the structure of identity through the involvement in the analysis of strata of national-ethnic, cultural, ethical, traditional, and moral issues.

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