Article

Name: Plot Situation a Governess in a Wealthy Family in Russian Classical Literature

Authors: Ponomareva Anastasia A.

Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Literary Life of the Plot

Abstract: The article deals with the typological features of the plot situation A Governess in a Wealthy Family that appeared in the plot repertory of Russian classical literature in the 1830s and took its stand during the second half of the XIX century. The invariant of this plot situation is the following: a young woman is employed as a governess by a wealthy family. She is kindly treated by the members of the family. However, the character gradually becomes dependent on the family, and the conflict arises. The denouement varies: the governess may take a decision to leave the house, she is rejected or may stay in the house. The article describes the mentioned above three types of this plot situation by analysing some pieces of fiction and classical works in the Russian literature of the XIX century. These types differ from each other in their central collision and characters, but the semantic potential of the invariant stays the same. During the XIX century the general semantics of the plot situation appeals to social problems. Despite the frequency of occurrence, the position of the plot situation A Governess in a Wealthy Family may be considered peripheral in the plot repertory of Russian classical literature. As for conflicts, central collision and character analysis, this plot situation is close to the following more frequent situations: an innocent orphan that is unkindly treated, a foster child in a wealthy family and a teacher on special terms.

Keywords: plot situation, plot repertory of xix century, variant and invariant of plot scheme, plot structure and semantics.

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