Polyphony of self-identity in the Life of Archpriest Avvakum

Abstract

The value of the author's personality is an important aspect of the literary process in the 17th century in Russia. This aspect is manifested, in a unique and talented manner, in the work of the Archpriest Avvakum Petrov (1621/2-1682), "Zhitiye" ["The Life" of the Archpriest Avvakum, by Himself]. The author shows his multifaceted personality, referring to the principles of mimesis and comparison, typical for the medieval poetics in the depiction of a human being. The versatility of the description leads to the idea of the character's individuality. However, Avvakum does not avoid the controversy between the righteous and the sinful, or the sacred and the mundane. The main objective is to dramatize the narrative and to introduce the role system for the characters. This method, while performing a communicative function, allows the author to determine the reader's experience, deepens the meaning of the text, and increases the caliber of the author himself. Avvakum, in his "Life", transforms the hero's mundane journey into a divine plan of salvation, causing immediate reader's allusions with the Christian exploits and deeds of a wide variety. Thus, the righteousness of the author's figure is absolutized, and the highest assessment of his work by contemporaries and the subsequent readership alike is explained. © 2019 Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Philology. All rights reserved.