A NEOREALISTIC RECONSTRUCTION OF THE “THE BOOK OF JOB” IN THE NOVEL “THE YELTYSHEVS”

Abstract

The novel “The Yeltyshevs” by the neo-realist writer Roman Senchin is examined as a creative reinterpretation of “The Book of Job” based on Harold Bloom’s concept of kenosis. This approach affirms the literary subjectivity of the work and raises questions about the essence of modern human existence. Through the three interrelated dimensions of kenosis – the abolition of the divine frame, the isolation of the sublime meaning, and regression, that is, the descent from the divine to the earthly – Senchin secularises and reconstructs the biblical motif, transforming the classical plot into an artistic reflection of the modern age. Through the depiction of the moral decline and spiritual desolation of the Yeltyshev family, the novel reflects the profound moral disarray and protracted spiritual crisis of Russian society following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The article argues that the reconstruction of “The Book of Job” in Senchin’s novel is not a mere imitation or allusion, but constitutes an independent artistic choice linked to the fundamental principles of Russian neo-realism.