Theatricality in the poetics of B. Okudzhava’s novel "Rendezvous with Bonaparte"

The paper examines the theatrical element in B. Okudzhava’s last historical novel "Rendezvous with Bonaparte". The relevance of the study is determined, firstly, by the fact that the phenomenon of theatricality in the poetics of prose texts is of particular interest for modern literary criticism, and secondly, theatricality in Okudzhava studies has not received a comprehensive study as of to date, its role is not always comprehended in the analysis of specific works of the writer. The research is carried out on the basis of using a set of methods: historical-literary, comparative-typological, socio-cultural, as well as a holistic analysis of a work of art. Our study reveals that the theatricality is the leading narrative principle of the work "Rendezvous with Bonaparte", which manifests itself in the conventionality, scenic character of a number of events, the perception of life as a kind of performance. Unconscious theatricalization of behavior does not mean insincerity or artificiality. The heroes of B. Okudzhava create their own "scripts", organically merge with the assigned roles, and sometimes act as "directors" of the mise-en-scènes of the "performances" written by them. Illustrative in this respect is the novel "Rendezvous with Bonaparte", in which theatricality is embodied not in the theme, the use of theatrical vocabulary or images, but in the special attitude of the hero to the world, in his behavior that goes beyond stereotypes. Theatricality is inseparably linked with the theme of illusion or unreality. In B. Okudzhava's novel, the motive of illusion permeates the entire diary of Opochinin, is key to understanding his thoughts and actions, largely determining the development of the plot. There is a constant collision of real events from the life of different heroes with fantasies. The hero is not even aware of the boundaries between reality and fiction. One of the signs of theatricality is the presence of a hero-narrator - a kind of "puppeteer". Undoubtedly, such a character in the novel is Opochinin - "director" and "screenwriter" in one person, clearly prescribing all roles, even minor ones. During the preparation of his "performance", he tries not to miss a single detail: his "script" indicates the main instruments of the orchestra, which should emphasize the solemnity of the moment when the "geniuses of war" meet. "Musical theatricality" in B. Okudzhava's novel is a way of influencing the supposed "viewer" - the reader, the formation of a single sound space, which retains the ambiguity of images and reflects the variability of the emotional state of the hero. The music in Opochinin's “performance” is not a decoration; it determines the tonality of the whole action, as if it comes to life in a fictional theatrical space thanks to its sensual perception. Thus, theatricality is one of the most important dominants of the author's vision of history, based on the demonstration of the involvement of a “private” person in the events described. The reflective hero of B. Okudzhava, realizing his loneliness and powerlessness, being completely at the mercy of his own illusions, cannot remain indifferent to what is happening.

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