IMAGE OF CHILD IN LYDiA CHUKOVSKAYA'S LITERARY WORKS 'SOFIA PETROVNA' AND 'SPUSK POD VODU' (SUBMERSION), AND IN YURII TRIFONOV'S STORIES 'OBMEN', 'PREDVARITELNYE ITOGI', 'DOLGOE PROSHCHANIE', AND 'DRUGAYA ZHIZN'
In the works of Lydia Chukovskaya and Yurii Trifonov, child as a symbol loses its traditional meaning and acquires a new one. In stories entitled 'Sofia Petrovna' and 'Submersion', Chukovskaya paints the image of harmed children, orphans in the mental and literal meaning of the word, growing up on the 'arid soil', in the realm of slavery. Their fate is becoming an accusation of the totalitarian system which, to quote Anatolii Pristavkin, 'is worth nothing, if it hunts a child'. Adult characters are compared to childish infants with features natural for children perceived in this case as negative. Chukovskaya seems to underline the perfidy of purposeful activities of the authorities, in result of which adults become transformed into mindless and unconscious children. In Trifonov's stories, a child ceases to symbolise the new beginning or the peak of opportunities, but becomes a symbol of wasted life and opportunities for self development. The writer seems to be particularly emphasizing the spiritual emptiness and slavery of the characters who, by running away from parenthood, express their irresponsibility and denial of liberty as a task to carry out. Falsely understood parenthood leads to moral degradation of parents, while negation of the parental instinct indicates the moral degradation of the world.
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