“On That Side…” “Women of His Dreams” Cover Image

“По той бік…” “Жінки його мрії”
“On That Side…” “Women of His Dreams”

Author(s): Feliks Shteynbuk
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Ukrainian Literature
Published by: Чернівецький національний університет імені Юрія Федьковича
Keywords: Ulianenko; corporal-mimetic method; emptiness; horrible; monstrous; language; freedom;

Summary/Abstract: It is asserted that the works by Oles Ulianenko, the only laureate of the Small Shevchenko Award in Ukrainian literature history, are still on the periphery of literary research; the reasons of such indifference to the writer’s heritage are explained and an alternative corporal-mimetic variant for textual analysis of the novel “Woman of His Dreams” given as an example in comparison to existing research methods is suggested. It is proved that accumulation of horrors relating to numerous cruel deaths of marginal characters dialectically transform the obviously marginal character of these horrors into discourse formation seeking to fill existential emptiness. The correlate of emptiness is considered through the eastern approach, in particular the Buddhist one, so as the western philosophy, in the first place in M. Heidegger’s and H. Miller’s interpretations, so the conclusion is made according to which the primary author’s intention of O. Ulianenko despite the fact that he indeed, as he said in his interviews many times, wanted “…to frighten so that the man could understand how horrible it was if it happened”, and despite the fact that in fiction practice it was realized with a horror correlate – this intention has received a deeper artistic-aesthetic meaning through actualization of interrelated with it correlates of emptiness and monstrosity represented with the language considered by the Ukrainian writer as the only substance, which has acquired corporal features, belonging to absolute freedom; and in conclusion it is noted that on this side of “Woman of His Dreams” horrors rampage conditioned by marginal locus existence of the big city; but “on that side…” of “Woman of His Dreams” these horrors are ritualized by pseudo mystical images and due to the language, hence the monstrosity correlate as well, they fill emptiness with freedom formation and representation at the same time, first of all freedom as it is but also freedom from social, national, religious, sexual and other prejudices.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 96
  • Page Range: 40-54
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Ukrainian