FEMALE IMAGES IN THE WORKS OF I.S. SHMELEV

Dao Xiaolei

I.S. Shmelev created in his novels a whole gallery of peculiar female images combining traditional characteristics of a Russian woman and features of the Orthodox ideal. Shmelev's women have different trajectories of fate and different paths to the Truth, but each of them finds peace of mind and spiritual well-being at the end of this path, discovering the very Truth for the world and in themselves. Its essence for the Orthodox writer Shmelev lies in the postulate: the divine in man is above his natural nature, nature. Through the works of Shmelev, a special reverence is transmitted to women filled with pious faith, marked by some "sanctity" of behavior and deeds. It is important for the writer to show how these women are "cleansed" from the inside, improved and enlightened - through their self-sacrifice and helping others achieve spiritual enlightenment. The saving power of a woman, as one of the deepest features of her personality, seems to the writer to be a special factor capable of influencing the fate of Russia. Female images help Shmelev to embody both subjective moral ideas about the ideal of a woman, and religious-ethical, worldview attitudes of Russian society, widespread at that time.

Keywords:I.S. Shmelev, the female ideal in Orthodoxy, female images in Shmelev's work, "Heavenly Paths", "Love Story", "Summer of the Lord", "Nanny from Moscow".