Reflection of the ideas of Christian soteriology in Russian literature: "A tale of Gore-Zlochastie" (XVII) and "Diary of a madman" by N. V. Gogol

Bedina N.

The article posed the research problem of the reflection of the ideas of Orthodox soteriology in the Russian literary tradition. It is solved through the comparison of the narrative structure in the short story "Diary of a Madman" by N. V. Gogol with the Old Russian text "A Tale of Gore-Zlochastie". The using the household story genre form for expressing moral and philosophical content brings together Gogol's work and the medieval parable tradition. The main issues of the Christian doctrine of salvation translated into the story line of the individual human fate in the Old Russian text, and in "Diary of a Madman". N. V. Gogol, portraying the his hero way, implements the characteristic of the medieval parable motif of "turbidity" of human nature as a consequence of the fall. The Aksenty Poprishchin madness can be interpreted as an image of the human mind limitations, being inflated with pride, unable to see the truth. However, in the Old Russian story, where the plot is based on the gospel parable of the Prodigal Son, the author gave to hero the possibility of free from the power of sin and regain the "fatherly estate" of truth. Whereas in Gogol's text internal conflict, culminating in the final monologue of the hero, does not receive a definite resolution.

Keywords:Christian soteriology, parable, story line, "Diary of a Madman" by N. V. Gogol, "A Tale of Gore-Zlochastie".