THE ORIGINALITY OF THE AUTHOR'S IRONY IN THE PORTRAIT OF THE THEATRICAL ENVIRONMENT IN V. VINNYCHENKA'S STORY «HARKUN-ZADUNAYSʹKYY ENTERPRISE»

Abstract

The article analyzes the story from the point of view of the functioning of irony in it. Moreover, it is considered not as a stylistic figure (trope), but as an aesthetic category, which does not set itself the goal of making the recipient laugh, but reveals the author's perception of reality, his dissatisfaction with the real state of affairs in the world. «Playing» with the reader, Vynnychenko hides irony behind specific descriptions of landscapes and interiors, mocks the manner of behavior and speech of his characters, who, in fact, presented high art to ordinary people. It shows the real state of the provincial Ukrainian drama theater of the beginning of the 20th century, which developed in extremely unfavorable conditions. Censorship, lack of funds, casual earnings, constant relocations, lack of theater premises so grounded the dramatic action that it was reduced to low-cost farces and comedies. Operettas, interludes and even sketches became popular, and performances took place in cinemas, wooden pavilions in gardens and parks. There is no need to talk about the acting skills of such teams. Thanks to irony, Vynnychenko managed to combine the tragic and the comic, the high and the low, the sacred and the profane within one work. The analyzed story is thoroughly imbued with irony. Vynnychenko uses it to negatively characterize and create a satirical image of Harkun-Zadunaisky – an entrepreneur who by no means served art for free, but worked exclusively on a commercial basis and combined the work of a manager with his own theatrical activities. In the work, the disharmony between the desired and the real is quite vivid. The main character is a «generalized» character, in which the talentlessness, impropriety, aggressiveness, stupidity, and megalomania of a significant number of contemporary pseudo-theatrical actors are manifested. The main characteristic of the theater in the story is provincialism. He leaves his mark both on the director, who manages ineptly, and on the actors, who play in a formulaic way, as well as on the audience, which is not interested in the play. Vynnychenko satirizes the existing theatrical stereotypes, conventionality, and unnaturalness. Examining his ironic reasoning in a broad context allows us to conclude that provinciality was a characteristic feature of the entire Ukrainian theater world without exception.