LOT AND FATE IN F. NORRIS’S “THE OCTOPUS”

Abstract

The article seeks to explore the influence of various social and psychological factors on the fate of the characters in F. Norris’s novel “The Octopus.” Most of the Russian works devoted to this novel originated in the Soviet period (1950s–1970s). The novel was studied entirely within the framework of the Marxist paradigm, while the naturalistic component of the novel was seriously underestimated. The relevance of the article is connected with the rethinking of the ideas of art, predestination and moral responsibility developed in the novel, herewith it is important to show that “The Octopus” is much broader than the view of the capitalism as an absolute evil. Norris’s interpretation of the concept of natural selection is also original, and the author’s sympathy for his characters makes it possible to depict the humanistic orientation of the novel.