The image of water in the Ukrainian postmodern novel

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to define and systematize the artistic features and functions of water images on the material of Ukrainian postmodernist novels, in particular, in the novels “Twelve Hoops”, “Moscovyada” and “Radio Night” by Yu. Andrukhovych, “Mesopotamia” and “Voroshylovgrad” by S. Zhadan, “AMtm” by Yu. Izdryk, “Tango of Death” and “Lutetsia” by Yu. Vynnychuk. The authors trace how artistic and figurative codes rooted in the oldest layers of Ukrainian culture are transformed into author’s models of the image of water, which are subject to the artistic purpose of the novels, combine with other images, form more complex image combinations, and fulfill artistic tasks on the verge of artistic genres. The similarities and differences in the use of water images in a number of novels are revealed. The images of the river, the sea and water as element and substance are interpreted as frequently used, multilayered, multifunctional, multigenre and those that create a genre accent of mysticism in the novels, actualize mythological levels of perception of the depicted, emphasize the connection with the otherworldly and transcendent, manifest the extraordinary abilities of the person interacting with it and testify to the possibility of endowing with these properties, of being a trans-level means of moving through the worlds and a source of life.