Reception of the Christian Tradition in the Works of Marina Paley’s Prose

Abstract

The author argues that Marina Paley, being an intellectual writer, tries to find out genre form for proper representation of her worldview and aesthetic values. Consequently Paley pays attention to the Christian literary tradition The purpose of writing the article was to study the writer’s embodiment of the author’s consciousness in the genre forms of the Yuletide/Christmas story (“An Enclave for two”) and parable (parable novel “Choir”). The objective of the article is to analyze the embodiment of the writer’s consciousness in the genre forms of the Yuletide/Christmas story and parable. The article reviews the characteristics and peculiarities of modern Yuletide/ Christmas story. Many contemporary Russian writers use this genre form to criticize the immorality and lack of spirituality of society. Marina Paley also interprets the motive of the miracle in her own way. The miracle is the result of personal efforts. However, there is no spiritual rebirth or revelation with the character, she remains true to her conviction. Th us, Christmas time also acts as a test of a person’s character. The Christmas motifs are also can be found in the play “The Immersion” that shows a sharply critical view of the social structure. In contrast to the story “An Enclave for Two”, the eff orts of the characters do not bring results, the Christmas miracle does not happen, and the Yuletide and Christmas elements in this play emphasize only the absurdity of the soulless reality. The interpretation of the parable genre allows the author, without descending to a moralizing text with an action guide, to create a work that encourages an analytical look at the nature of human relationships and Divine Providence. Keywords: Marina Paley, literary tradition, parable, Christmas story, Yuletide story, tragicomedy buff.