Ђаво ироније, љубитељ приче. Нечастиви у роману Мирјане Новаковић Страх и његов слуга
Devil of Irony, Devotee of Narrative. Devil in the Novel Mirjana Novakovic’s Fear and Servant

Summary/Abstract: The figure of the devil in the novel Fear and Servant (1999) by Mirjana Novakovic is being viewed diachronically, in comparison with oral literature, folk beliefs, and the Bible story as well as in relation to the Serbian and world written literature; and synchronously with respect to the character and function of the devil in the Goran Petrovic’ novel Siege of the church of St. Saviour (1997). Compared to the literary tradition and modernity the devil in the novel of Mirjana Novakovic stands out as a narrator, creator of the story and creator of art. Ironic and parodic denial of common narrative is a fundamental aspect of his opposition to God and and of his relationship to the generally accepted idea of the devil as well. Devil in the novel Fear and servant is not powerful, absolute evil. He is humanized by his fear of death and of the Last Judgment, and through obsessive narration attempts to confirm and give meaning to his own existence. There is the main difference between the novel by Mirjana Novakovic and Goran Petrovic. Through the character and destiny of the devil – narrator, the novel Fear and servant looks at the fate of individuals faced with the questions of meaning of art, history, God, fear and, finally, with the question of mortality, which combines all others. In contrast, Petrović in his novel deals with sacred (liturgical),and profane (trading) time, history and story, restraining evil and with the evil as basis of existence and identity of the Serbian nation. Taken together, these two novels lead striking dialogue with the oral and written traditions, national and wider, even with each other

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