“Undermining”
The article provides a structural analysis of the «forgotten» play by
V. Zazubrin “Undermining”. This is the final work of the writer, created in the
mid-1930s. The plot is organized around the conflict between the “archaists and
innovators” from medicine. Its compliance to the normative parameters of the
socialist-realism canon is shown, following which leads to the same type of the
Soviet plot as such. Similar plot type, which is formed as a result of typical
actions of the heroes, correlates with the model of a fairy-tale, where there is
also a predetermination of the actions of the characters. In dramaturgy, these
properties are most distinct. The plot of the Zazubrin’s play moves from the
failures of the hero-innovator, his accusations of sabotage by colleagues of
the older generation and the ban on further experimentation – to a scientific
triumph and wedding. This corresponds to the functions of a fairy-tale plot, such
as “shortage”, the struggle of the hero and the antagonist, violation of the
prohibition, solving a difficult task, marriage and “reigning”. The analysis leads
to the conclusion: the schematic behavior of the hero, his subordination to the
plot within the boundaries of a given canon leads to a decrease in the artistic
level of the play, depriving its content of the occasionality that is characteristic
of Zazubrin’s early work.
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“Undermining” // Критика и семиотика. 2020. № 1. Pp. 323–337. DOI: 10.25205/2307-1737-2020-1-323-337.