ALGORITHM OF COLLECTIFE UNCONSCIOUS IN NOVEL “THE GODS ARE ATHIRST” BY A. FRANCE

Abstract

The proposed article analyses Anatole France’s novel “The Gods Are Athirst” («Les Dieux ont soif», 1912) from the point of view of archetypal criticism for the purpose of studying the algorithm of collective unconscious in the «political form» (the term by K. G. Jung) demonstrated by the author in the depiction of the events of the Great French Revolution of 1789–1794. The classical concept of the Great Revolution saw it as a result of the action of the masses, which deliberately transform the historical process, thus asserting in the memory of the nation the image of the revolution as a banal metaphor for progress. The new paradigm of interpretation of the French Revolution (mid-1960s) degenerates its image, and its history focuses on the problem of existential awareness of history. However, these issues have long been the subject of the study of psychoanalysts, philosophers and writers, as evidenced by the novel «The Gods Are Athirst». A.France described the inspirational revolutionary mass of the Parisians, in which each individual individual does not realize what is happening to him, that is, under Jung, is under the influence of archetypes. The author investigates the manifestations of the archetypes of the Savior, Hero, Dragon, Anima — the images of the collective unconscious— and analyses (on example of the image of the protagonist Evarist Gamlena) archetypal images that are determined by the material of a conscious experience and dictated by the moment of history. Archetype of the Rescuer — an archetypal idea of a magical personality — designed by the people on the figures of the leaders of the revolutionary movement as guarantors of the protection of all conquests and the salvation of the Motherland. The archetype of the Hero — on the judges of the Tribunal; Archetype of the Dragon — to the enemies of the Republic; Archetype Anima — to the image of the Motherland.