Article

Name: Fantastic motifs and the world of childhood in the novel “Katya the Chinese” by Dmitri Prigov

Authors: Ksenia V. Abramova

Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Study of literature

Abstract:

This article analyzes the novel “Katya the Chinese” by Dmitri Prigov, focusing on the fantastical motifs associated with China that construct a unique “childhood space” within the narrative. Seen through the protagonist’s eyes, this space is simultaneously mundane and surreal, permeated by extraordinary elements. The study explores the theme of memory, specifically its distortion and disappearance, and how it organizes the text’s spatial structure. The constant oscillation between the heroine’s limited point of view and the author’s overarching perception creates a spatial duality, leading to unexpected conceptual convergences. Special attention is paid to the imagery of magical creatures rooted in Chinese mythology. The author identifies a primary literary source for these images: Pu Songling’s “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio” (often translated into Russian as “Strange Stories from the Cabinet of a Loser”), with which Prigov was likely familiar through the classic translations by Academician V. M. Alekseev. Further examination within the article is dedicated to the concept of doubling, addressing both the recurrence of images and the heroine’s life narrative, which is enriched by hypothetical futures and the author’s personal memories. Ultimately, the blending of perspectives, metamorphoses, and fantastical imagery creates a magical “fairytale China” that serves as an emblem of childhood, a world where the inexplicable is the norm. The doubling of space and time forms a complex narrative pattern, resulting in a lyrical plot centered on the heroine’s coming of age.

Keywords: coming-of-age novel, childhood, D. A. Prigov, fantastic motifs, China, artistic space, artistic time, memory, duality, werefoxes, lyrical plot

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