“… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely

The article compares the functions and implications of the motif of sunset and the image of its rays in the works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely. The comparison focuses on the biblical concept of unity between the elements of fire and light, and the origin of fire in the collision of the Divine...

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Autor principal:	Inna D. Gazheva
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN RU
Publicado:	Russian Academy of Sciences. A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature 2020
Materias:	f.m. dostoevsky andrei bely “oblique rays of the setting sun” interiorization symbol motive young symbolism “new prose” double world personification Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian languages PG1-9665
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/250425737e1e4450a084501ed7a76254
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:250425737e1e4450a084501ed7a762542021-12-02T19:40:47Z“… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely10.22455/2619-0311-2020-1-51-822619-03112712-8512https://doaj.org/article/250425737e1e4450a084501ed7a762542020-03-01T00:00:00Zhttp://dostmirkult.ru/images/2020-1/DOST_2020-19-52-83.pdfhttps://doaj.org/toc/2619-0311https://doaj.org/toc/2712-8512The article compares the functions and implications of the motif of sunset and the image of its rays in the works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely. The comparison focuses on the biblical concept of unity between the elements of fire and light, and the origin of fire in the collision of the Divine light with the sinful world. It is shown that disclosing the symbolic meaning of this image in Dostoevsky’s works is impossible without considering interiorization as a feature of his depiction of the objects of the natural world, that is, their inclusion into the horizon and the words of each character. The contemplation of the rays of the setting sun by one of the characters symbolizes his meeting with the Lord and his awareness (rather, only a feeling at first) of his unworthiness. The way a character perceives the rays of sunset acts as a marker of the degree of his spiritual (un)-cleanness and the Meeting they mark is a turning point in the character’s internal biography and the development of the action of the novel. Accordingly, F.M. Dostoevsky’s motif of sunset should be ascribed to key dynamic and plot-changing motifs. This fact fundamentally distinguishes the prose of F. M. Dostoevsky from the subsequent prose of the Russian Symbolists, notably from the early prose of Andrei Bely. Firstly, the sunset here is not opposed to sunrise; secondly, it signifies the expectation of a meeting, and not the experience of the meeting itself, the expectation of a transformation of the personality that has not begun yet. As a third element, it is presented not as a personal and an element of the interiorized landscape, but as a collective experience of the characters and an element of an “objective” - more precisely, an “intersubjective” - space, since symbolic prose is characterized by the intersubjective integrity between the author’s image and the spiritual essences of the characters. Finally, twilight acts as a female personification, which gives an erotic character to the expected meeting in young symbolists’ works. Bely’s sunset does not signify a turn either in the character’s spiritual biography, either in the action of the plot. While in F.M. Dostoevsky’s works the sunset acts as a dynamic motif, in Andrei Bely both sunrise and sunset act as a static motif, not affecting the course of events developing according to a certain archetypal pattern. This is due to a new type of artistic modality and the decline of the plot in new prose, and most importantly, to the differences occurring between F. M. Dostoevsky’s and Andrei Bely’s worldview.Inna D. GazhevaRussian Academy of Sciences. A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literaturearticlef.m. dostoevskyandrei bely“oblique rays of the setting sun”interiorizationsymbolmotiveyoung symbolism“new prose”double worldpersonificationSlavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian languagesPG1-9665ENRUДостоевский и мировая культура: Филологический журнал, Iss 1, Pp 51-82 (2020)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN RU
topic	f.m. dostoevsky andrei bely “oblique rays of the setting sun” interiorization symbol motive young symbolism “new prose” double world personification Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian languages PG1-9665
spellingShingle	f.m. dostoevsky andrei bely “oblique rays of the setting sun” interiorization symbol motive young symbolism “new prose” double world personification Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian languages PG1-9665 Inna D. Gazheva “… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely
description	The article compares the functions and implications of the motif of sunset and the image of its rays in the works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely. The comparison focuses on the biblical concept of unity between the elements of fire and light, and the origin of fire in the collision of the Divine light with the sinful world. It is shown that disclosing the symbolic meaning of this image in Dostoevsky’s works is impossible without considering interiorization as a feature of his depiction of the objects of the natural world, that is, their inclusion into the horizon and the words of each character. The contemplation of the rays of the setting sun by one of the characters symbolizes his meeting with the Lord and his awareness (rather, only a feeling at first) of his unworthiness. The way a character perceives the rays of sunset acts as a marker of the degree of his spiritual (un)-cleanness and the Meeting they mark is a turning point in the character’s internal biography and the development of the action of the novel. Accordingly, F.M. Dostoevsky’s motif of sunset should be ascribed to key dynamic and plot-changing motifs. This fact fundamentally distinguishes the prose of F. M. Dostoevsky from the subsequent prose of the Russian Symbolists, notably from the early prose of Andrei Bely. Firstly, the sunset here is not opposed to sunrise; secondly, it signifies the expectation of a meeting, and not the experience of the meeting itself, the expectation of a transformation of the personality that has not begun yet. As a third element, it is presented not as a personal and an element of the interiorized landscape, but as a collective experience of the characters and an element of an “objective” - more precisely, an “intersubjective” - space, since symbolic prose is characterized by the intersubjective integrity between the author’s image and the spiritual essences of the characters. Finally, twilight acts as a female personification, which gives an erotic character to the expected meeting in young symbolists’ works. Bely’s sunset does not signify a turn either in the character’s spiritual biography, either in the action of the plot. While in F.M. Dostoevsky’s works the sunset acts as a dynamic motif, in Andrei Bely both sunrise and sunset act as a static motif, not affecting the course of events developing according to a certain archetypal pattern. This is due to a new type of artistic modality and the decline of the plot in new prose, and most importantly, to the differences occurring between F. M. Dostoevsky’s and Andrei Bely’s worldview.
format	article
author	Inna D. Gazheva
author_facet	Inna D. Gazheva
author_sort	Inna D. Gazheva
title	“… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely
title_short	“… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely
title_full	“… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely
title_fullStr	“… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely
title_full_unstemmed	“… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely
title_sort	“… while the sun was setting”: the evening light in the works of f.m. dostoevsky and andrei bely
publisher	Russian Academy of Sciences. A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature
publishDate	2020
url	https://doaj.org/article/250425737e1e4450a084501ed7a76254
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“… While the Sun was Setting”: the Evening Light in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky and Andrei Bely

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