Religious motifs in Ivan Cankar's short prose

Abstract

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of religious motifs in the short prose of the Slovenian writer Ivan Cankar (1876–1918). The analysis of religious motifs was made on the basis of ten short stories from different artistic periods. The analysis outcome has revealed their main functions, both shaping the plot of various short stories, and reflecting the moral principles that the writer himself adhered to in his life. It showed that the range of religious motifs is quite diverse, that religious motifs often pass from one work to another, and also shape stories. The reflection of the writer's moral principles is revealed in two ways. On the one hand, through religious motives, we can observe the Cankar’s understanding of Christianity as the spiritual foundation and moral basis of the characters, which helps them survive in an adverse environment – in poverty, hunger and under social pressure. On the other hand, religious motifs are one of the key instruments of satire used by the writer to show the vices of representatives of the Catholic Church and expose the church as an institution, presenting his understanding of this organization as one aimed at consolidating power and increasing control over ordinary people, as well as deepening social inequality.