To the question of central conflict in M. Y. Lermontov’s novel “Vadim”

Abstract

This article examines the unfinished Mikhail Lermontov’s novel “Vadim”. This oeuvre is one of the signature works of the writer: on the one hand, it recapitulates the earlier period of Lermontov’s works, while on the other – represents a stepping stone, characterized by mastering new genres and reflecting general trends of Russian literature of the beginning of the 1830’s. The goal consists in the analysis of central conflict unfolded between the protagonists Vadim and Olga, which reflects choice of a person between good and evil. The historical-literary and hermeneutic methods are applied in the course of this research. The novelty lies in the author’s suggestion to examine romantic conflicts in the context of Christian worldview. The implications of M. Y. Lermontov’s novel are decoded via attraction of the texts of Holy Scripture, which leads to the conclusion that the beginning of work on the novel “Vadim” coincides with Lermontov’s heightened interest to the problem of good and evil in Christian understanding. Mastering the new prosaic genre, the writer continues to amplify the common to his works theme of interaction of the Divine, angelical, demonic and human beginnings.