STORY BY IVAN FRANKO ABOUT THE «FREE BIRD» (POETICS AND PROBLEMS OF «PANTALACHA»)

Abstract

The paper deals with the creative history of the short story «Pantalacha» by Ivan Franko with prison problems. The purpose of this article is to study the artistic specificity of this work. The major attention is drawn to publication history, structure, genre specifics, problem-thematic spectrum. The Lviv locus is characterized, which can be recognized through such well-known local objects of the 19th century as Brigidky (the prison at Kazimirivska Street, the former monastery of nuns of the Order of St. Brigid, now – 20 Horodotska Street) and the pub «In Naphtula» (official name – «Under three crowns», now it is 12 Shevska St.). Special attention was paid to the location of the prison – corridor, cell, kitchen and roof. Franko focused in detail not only on the location of the cell itself in the prison, but also on its interior. He compared his cell to hell. It is indicated that the writer, when depicting the main characters of the story, actively uses portrait details: their actual appearance, in particular Pantalach’s physical and communicative behavior, Sporysh’s honesty and integrity. The artistic functioning of mentally ill personality of Prokop is also revealed. Other works of the writer are partly involved for analysis and comparison. The story raises many problems that are also present in Franko’s previous works («Ivas Novitnii», «On the Bottom», «Peasant’s Commission»), because here the problems of good and evil, life and death, freedom and unfreedom have been actualized. The great psychological subtext of the work, which is expressed through the unconscious states of the individual, is separately considered. Franko, as a skilled observer of human souls, also paid considerable attention to the characters dreams in this work. In the story, Sporysh’s oneiric visions are caused by mental upheavals and are an echo of depressing daytime impressions. It is indicated that the writer with great skill focuses on both external and internal manifestations of the disease of the key holder. Keywords; Ivan Franko, «Pantalacha» short story, prison theme, genre, style, issues, locus, interior, portrait.