МАСОВА ТА ІНДИВІДУАЛЬНА СВІДОМІСТЬ У «ТВОРАХ ПРО РЕВОЛЮЦІЮ» (М. АСУЕЛА, О. СЕРАФИМОВИЧ)

Abstract

The present article is devoted to the interaction of mass and individual consciousness in the revolutionary novels. The material of the research includes M. Azuela’s novel «The Underdogs» and A. Serafimovich’s novel «The Iron Flood». In these works the revolutionary reality is revealed from one hand with a people’s character of an individual who takes part in the events and from the other hand with the image of the mass as the carrier of the mass consciousness. Mass consciousness is presented as an elemental force that can change reality. Mass itself (crowd, great human flood) has enormous transformative energy that knows no barriers. But massive dash is always short because mass never has far-reaching plans and is not ruled by logic. In the «works about revolution» mass and individual consciousness exists in a certain unity, but the mass psychology absorbs individual. A person in this case becomes a «mask carrier» of the revolution. Despite the difference between national identity, Mexican «revolution novels» and Soviet revolution literature create the image of the leader, who is the typical and complete implementation of the insurgent people, but these people are either doomed, or those who will soon lose touch with reality and become «iron». The author proves that the mass has unique features aimed at conversion, but mass consciousness is devoid of logic and doomed to a short-term impulse. Individual (personal) consciousness is absorbed by the mass consciousness, and must either destroy his «I», or become «iron» bearer of a collective «we».