FATE IN NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE (ON THE MATERIAL OF I. TURGENEV’S STORY “A QUIET SPOT”)

Abstract

The article examines the narrative perspective in I.S. Turgenev’s novella “A Quiet Spot”, written in 1854. This work touches upon the scene of female suicide, which lends it a distinct dramatic depth. At first glance, the fate of the protagonist, Maria, resembles that of other female characters in Turgenev’s works, centered on tragic love. However, her act of deliberately drowning herself sets her apart from other heroines, making Maria one of the few female suicides in Turgenev’s oeuvre and granting her a unique place in his literary legacy. Turgenev employs a narrative strategy characterized by the separation of the observer and the narrator. This approach enriches the narrative structure of the novella and allows for a deeper exploration of the complex relationships between characters, as well as the subtle psychological transformations they undergo, thereby conveying the author’s position. By alternating and intertwining various narrative perspectives – omniscient perspective, limited perspective of characters, and camera-type external perspective – Turgenev not only implies the heroine’s fate but also reflects his views on the position of women, the specific nature of love, morality, and Russian society.