POETICS OF MYTH AND SYMBOLISM IN THE NOVEL OF VASYL ZEMLIAK “THE FLOCK OF SWANS”

Abstract

Vasyl Zemliak's novel «The Flock of Swans» is characterized by transparent symbolism, the author often resorts to the associations with ancient history and uses the poetics of myth. In particular, the biblical image of the Tower of Babel runs through the entire work. The construction of the Tower of Babel symbolizes human haughtiness and arrogance, that in the novel is associated with the communization of the Ukrainian land and allows us to predict the inglorious end of this audacious project. Vasyl Zemliak uniquely interprets the concepts of «dispersion» and «the devil and all to do», which are accompanying to the construction of the Tower of Babel. Since humor is one of the basic features of the chimeric novel, the biblical symbolism is conceptualized not only on a serious level, but also with a laugh. It concerns such images as the Tower of Babel, the whore of Babylon, the Egyptian punishment etc. Also, in the novel Vasyl Zemliak ironically used to the best effect the ancient myth about the creation of human from clay, alluding to the communist mixing (creation) of a new, so-called «red» human. In the narrative strategy of the novel, the image of «two Babylons» acquires great importance. Most often, it is reffered to upper and lower Babylon, and at the same time this topographical difference is full of deep symbolic sense. In «The Flock of Swans», Bolshevism-Communism is symbolically tied to the «bottom», while the wealthy peasantry is «at the top» and resists the arbitrariness of the new authorities. The relocation of the characters plays an important symbolic role in the novel. Moving down means losing of positive qualities, while staying at the top or moving upwards means moral improvement. It is worthy of note that the downward relocation of the characters of «The Flock of Swans» is accompanied by their communization, and vice versa.