Women in the Prose of Valentin Rasputin (Siberia, USSR).

Of the contemporary Russian writers devoted to rural themes, the Siberian Valentin Rasputin is widely regarded as one of the most talented and interesting. One might even say that there exists a cult of Rasputin in the Soviet Union today. Not only are his works applauded officially but, perhaps more revealing, they enjoy tremendous popularity among the Russian people themselves. One of the most attractive and alluring features in Rasputin's stories are his women, and it is to their special psychology and out- look on life that this dissertation is devoted. Women occupy a singu- lar place in much of Rasputin's literary output. With the extension of urban culture into every phase of rural life, the countryside-- and the peasant as a distinct social category--are gradually disappearing. But, and predictably so, not all members of the rural community are well disposed towards these changes. Old women, for example, are particularly tenacious in clinging to and upholding the traditions, values, and folk customs of the peasant heritage; and it is to them that Rasputin turns in his quest for humanism and moral strength. Examining the characters of Rasputin's women, this dissertation focuses on their cultural and moral values--values that, while intrinsic to the age-old peasant way of life, have been eroded to the point of extinction among the younger generation. The most important of these values are those with a humanistic bent: kindness, understan- ding, a sensitivity to the misfortunes of others, and a strong sense of communal responsibility. Other facets of their characters include a love of work, passivity, and an almost mystical closeness to the soil. The introduction offers an overview of the village prose movement and Rasputin's place in it. It then proceeds to a general discussion of fictional old women--babas who have not broken entirely with the pre-revolutionary past-- and their promotion to the rank of heroine. Chapter II focuses on Rasputin's early women characters. Chapter III examines the complexities of Nastyona in Zivi i pomni, Chapter IV--Anna in Poslednij srok, Chapter V--Darya in Proscanie s Materoj. The conclusion discusses how Rasputin and other village writers are increasingly turning to new subjects for their major characters.PhDSlavic literatureUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/160864/1/8600539.pd