Features of the manifestation of the carnival principle in N.V. Gogol's novella "Nevsky Prospekt"

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of carnivalization in N.V. Gogol's novella "Nevsky Prospekt". The paper analyzes the key manifestations of carnivalization in the story, such as the creation of a game atmosphere, blurring the boundaries between the real and the fantastic, the metamorphoses of the characters, the use of the grotesque and the combination of the comic with the tragic. Special attention is paid to the image of Nevsky Prospekt as a carnivalized space where various social strata, masks and roles are mixed. The article also examines the parallel storylines of Lieutenant Pirogov and the artist Piskarev. The study demonstrates how Gogol masterfully uses elements of carnivalization to create a multifaceted and ambivalent picture of life in which the high and the low, the tragic and the comic combine and interact with each other. Along with general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis and generalization, descriptive and comparative methods are used in the work. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the consideration of the death scene of the protagonist of the story by the artist Piskarev, in the aspect of the theory of carnival. According to the results of the study, it was found that in the story "Nevsky Prospekt" the key features of carnivalization are vividly manifested: the creation of a playful, festive atmosphere in a specific space of Nevsky Prospekt; the erasure of hierarchical and social differences between the characters; the intertwining of the illusory and real worlds; the use of grotesque images and the combination of the ridiculous with the tragic. Special attention is paid to the analysis of Piskarev's suicide scene, which is considered as the culmination of a carnival action, where the tragic event acquires an ambivalent character and becomes a kind of symbol of the collapse of the romantic illusions of the hero. Carnival imagery allows Gogol to convey his own vision of St. Petersburg as a city of contrasts, where the high borders on the low, and beauty turns into vulgarity. Thus, the study makes a significant contribution to understanding the role of carnivalization in the artistic world of the story "Nevsky Prospekt" and expands the understanding of the creative method of N.V. Gogol.