Ways of constructing the past in V. Pikul’s novel “The Favorite”

Abstract

The subject of this article is the key methods of constructing the past applied by Valentin Pikul in chronological novel “The Favorite”: theatricality technique, actualization of male and female beginnings of the main characters, adventurous beginning that includes special chronotope, creation of mystical atmosphere, introduction of the motifs of meeting and partings, and “modernization” of history – the approach of parallel description of the plot of the XVIII century as a storyline of the time of a reader. The goal is to demonstrate the origin of techniques within the depths of Pukil’s writing methods that are in demand by modern cinematography and brought to life in multiple TV series; and how the enlightening content of historical compositions of the XVIII century, particularly the “Memoirs of Catherine the Great” are replaced by the entertaining presentation. The use of cultural-historical, comparative-historical, and structural methods allow determining the main semantic bonds of the novel and genesis of these phenomena, as well as draw parallels with the indicated realias in the modern mass literature. In the course of comprehensive analysis of the novel “The Favorite”, the conclusion is made on the intentional fictionalization of the historical material by V. Pikul: externally –  through convergence of the novel with theatrical staging via using compositional techniques; and internally –  through the techniques of mass literature writing, creation of adventurous chronotope, diminishment of the heroic beginning of historical characters to the behavioral level of typical characters of the romantic novel, introduction of the element of scandal, mystery and adventure. For the first time, the novel is examined through the prism of the time of its creation – the era of post-Perestroika, and the tradition the author leans upon: country-style and “youth” prose. The acquired conclusions directly relate to the modern situation, work of screenwriters on historical material, which was significantly simplified for the mass literature audience.