『미르고로드』에 나타난 병사의 형상과 시대적 의미 고찰

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the figures of warriors and their thoughts about war shown in Mirgorod, a collection of novels written by Nikolai Gogol, which describes the past and contemporary of Little Russia. Furthermore, it intends to define the relationship between the warriors and periodicity. Gogol created many types of characters. The imagery of ‘Little man’ and landowner is a typical example. These types of characters are very important in Russian literature and have attracted the attention of many scholars. In Gogol’s works with the background of Ukraine, various figures of warriors are found. In four novels of Mirgorod, figures of warriors are clearly distinguished according to the time. While the warriors of past are characterized by collectiveness and cruelty, the contemporary warriors are featured by closed and vulgarity. Moreover, the warriors of past are concerned with history and actively participated in war, whereas contemporary warriors considered war to be unrelated with themselves. Gogol considered Rome to be the an early military republic. And he think that ancient Ukraine closes to Rome. From the perspective of Gogol, the warriors of past can be described in a direct form, but the contemporary warriors can be depicted as having the limitation of the times and nostalgia for the soldiers of the past. Thus Gogol confirmed ideal of warriors through four novels in Mirgorod and made us rethink warriors’ role and meaning.