“Ballad of a Soldier” and its folktale elements
“Ballad of a Soldier” and its folktale elements

Author(s): Alina Israeli
Subject(s): Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Philology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: syntactics; combination of signs; non-linguistic signs; national body language; semiotics of culture; cultural studies; nonverbal semiotics; contemporary phraseology
Summary/Abstract: An analysis of this classic film demonstrates that the underlying idea of the protagonist’s trip is the same as the quest of Ivan the Fool in Russian folktales, that is the initiation of a hero. As in folktales, the protagonist encounters many obstacles and performs feats in order to achieve his manhood, which is manifested in finding and defending his love at the end of the road. His nature and character is also that of Ivan the Fool: a peasant son of a widow, he performs good deeds without asking to be thanked, while at the same time not asking for anything in return or for himself, which constantly encounters everyone’s laughter.

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