Gogol tradition and the theme of the hero of time in A. Ivanov's novel Bluda i Mudo

Alexey Ivanov's Bluda i MUDO (Fornication and MUDOAlpha), published in 2007, is a vivid example of a conscious and clear orientation to the creative legacy of Gogol. In the novel, the author considered the mores of modern society and the image of "the hero of time". The problem of the hero of time is one of the important themes of Russian literature which has not lost its relevance to contemporary writers. At the time Gogol comprehended the problem of "Hero of Time" through the images of artists (Piskarev, Chertkov), businessman-entrepreneur (Chichikov) and Rеvizor. Ivanov used this sequence of Gogol in the novel. Ivanov keeps Gogol's sequence considering the incarnation of the hero of time and this allows him to comprehend it in its entirety. In Ivanov's novel the hero of time is Morzhov who reflects the features of his era and at the same time sentences it. Like Gogol, Ivanov in his novel reveals the disastrous situation of the lack of spirituality in modern life, which is expressed in the absence of any moral guidelines. Morzhov's concept of "krizis verbalnosti" (crisis of the verbal) reflects the disease of modern society represented in the novel. The reason of the crisis of the verbal is a special type of modern thought which in the novel is defined as a "pixel". Pixel means a dot, fragmentary, superficial, lacking depth and true meaning. The plot of the novel logic is formed by relying on Gogol's narrative moves and reveals the exhaustion of the traditional system of values in modern society. Allusions to artists Chertkov and Piskarev can detect changes in the type of thinking and creative manner of the modern artist, like Morzhov. Through the key themes that accompany Gogol's artists, through themes of the "power of gold" and "ideal" the image of the artist is redefined. Comparison of Morzhov with Chichikov gives an opportunity to reflect the image of the modern adventurer who manages to deceive the public system. Identification of different motives that drive Morzhov and Chichikov in their adventures allows designating a shift in the system of values of the modern era. Giving Morzhov the role of a judge who punishes the guilty is an opportunity to define the image of the Inspector in the modern reality. Such an interpretation of the image of the Inspector can detect a deadlock in the spiritual life of a contemporary who is aware of the lack of spiritual metaphysical reality.

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