Humans and animals: Gradation of animal life value in A. M. Volkov’s fairy-tales
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2687-0223-2023-5-3-195-201Keywords:
A. M. Volkov' fairy tales, literary characters, animals, value of life, humanization, ecology, ethical motives, genre transformationAbstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze A.M. Volkov’s fairy-tale series about the Magic Land and the Emerald City (1939–1982) in order to determine the gradation of life value of the animal characters in comparison with the human characters. The study highlights the contradiction between the consciousness of the entire fauna of the Magic Land declared by Volkov and the preservation of hunting and cattle breeding. Based on the material of six fairy tales of the cycle, including their early and draft versions, I identify the structure of the animal world in Volkov’s fairy-tale universe and divide it into four groups with different values of life depending on the degree of personification and humanization and the plot role—quasi-humans, extras, cattle and monsters. The article also presents the main characteristics of these groups, including the degree of their rapprochement with human characters. The study reveals global post-war trends towards humanization of society, which gained strength in the 1950s–1960s, reflected in Volkov’s fairy tales. Such trends include strengthening of environmental and ethical motives, depoliticization, deheroization and humanization of children’s literature. I trace the change in the plot role of animal characters in Volkov’s fairy tales and the value of their lives as the fairy-tale series matures, departing from the classic fairy tale, towards the sci-fi genre, which is especially evident in the final book of the series. The study points out the interrelation between the gradual dehumanization of animal and human characters and the decline of the fairy-tale component in the Emerald City series by Volkov. This trend could be one of the reasons that prompted Volkov to abandon his fairy-tale series.
References
ИСТОЧНИКИ
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