“DEAD WORLD” OF THE TSARIST EMPIRE IN THE BELARUSIAN NOVELS ABOUT THE REVOLUTION TIME

Abstract

Literature is one of the means of introducing social myth into the consciousness of people. The social myth of the Soviet era proclaimed the establishment of an equitable state system – the Great October socialist revolution started a new era in the history of mankind. This theme is revealed primarily in the works devoted to revolutionary activities. They have an obvious mythological implication, which is based on the legend of origin of the new world, as well as the exploits of new heroes. In the novels of revolutionary theme authors had to portray life in the tsarist Empire in a negative way, to make a reader feel the need for change which the revolution had brought. The image of pre-revolutionary life acquired traits of the mythological “dead world”, which are revealed through symbolic mortal motifs that cause negative readers’ perception: “the dead world” of childhood, the dominance of old customs and traditions, the predominance of material interest for characters, the chaotic landscape. Acting at the beginning of novels as an exposition “the dead world” promotes development of the main function of a protagonist – to resist “the dead world” and transform it.