F.M. Dostoevsky and J.-L. Marion: Memory in the Light of the Concept of Conversio
Publication Title:
F.M. Dostoevsky and J.-L. Marion: Memory in the Light of the Concept of Conversio
Abstract:
This article attempts to apply the concepts of “conversion” and “memoria” to Dostoevsky's poetics and, in particular, to his use of the “sudden memory” technique. These concepts are adopted from the analysis of the “Confession” of St. Augustine, conducted by the Catholic theologian and phenomenologist Jean-Luc Marion. It is revealed that Augustine's “conversion” should be understood in two senses: institutionally, as an entry into the Church, and phenomenologically, as a turn to the Church. It is indicated that the first meaning presupposes rootedness in tradition and psychological integrity, while the second meaning presupposes psychological duality and the experience of loss of identity. It is the phenomenological meaning that is relevant for Dostoevsky's prose: the author substantiates that it was conceptualized by Bakhtin in the concept of a “threshold situation”. In view of this, the use of phenomenological methods to clarify the path of remembrance in Dostoevsky's works is argued. With the involvement of historical-literary works and the use of philosophical methods, the key concept of Dostoevsky's poetics “suddenly” is analyzed. It is proved, firstly, that the obsessive break in the narrative, which is designated by the writer by the specified concept of “suddenly”, precedes the transformation of the personality of the characters, the “change of mind” they experience; secondly, that although the “threshold situation” and the possibility of “change of mind” are available to every hero of Dostoevsky, not all of them come to the possibility of genuine conversion, that is, to entering the Church. The author comes to the conclusion that the gap between the two stages of “conversion” is due to 1) the tradition in which this or that hero exists and 2) his own capabilities of remembrance.
References:
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Key words:
conversio, Dostoevsky's poetics, the technique of "sudden recollection", memoria, the trope of remembrance, the concept of "threshold situation"
The DOI index:
10.17588/2076-9210.2023.3.155-167
Publication file:
