The influence of N. V. Gogol's satire on Sha Yesin's comedy "If I were Real"

Abstract

The subject of the research in the article is the peculiarities of the influence of N. V. Gogol's satirical comedy "The Inspector" on the work of the Chinese playwright of the XX century Sha Yesin "If I were real". The methods of comparative and structural-semiotic analysis using elements of cultural analysis are used in the work, the method of interpretation of a separate text, the analysis of individual stylistic elements is also used. In this paper, we will be interested in productive reception, which, unlike reproductive reception, is associated with the entry of N. V. Gogol's satirical works as foreign texts into the work of Chinese writers. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the name of the famous Chinese playwright and screenwriter Sha Yesin and his comedy "If I were Real" are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time in the aspect of the reception of N. V. Gogol's satirical traditions. The peculiarities of the influence of N. V. Gogol's satirical traditions on Sha Yesin's comedy "If I were Real" are due to the internal political situation in China in the 1970s of the XX century and the influence of national traditions of Chinese literature. In this regard, Sha Yesin followed the traditions of Gogol's satire to the extent that it was necessary to express the main idea of the comedy of the Chinese playwright, in connection with the trends of the time that coincided with the ideological content of the "Auditor" – exposing the vices of officials. To solve the set artistic task, Sha Yesin consciously followed the plot of Gogol's comedy, which explains the borrowing of plot techniques from the "Inspector" ("the deceiver involuntarily", "double exposure", "incriminating letter"). Comparison of N. V. Gogol's comedy "The Inspector" and Sha Yesin's play suggests that the reception of Gogol's satire allowed Sha Yesin to create an original comedy that enriched Chinese literature.