An irony and an idyll: stylistic unity of two worlds in S. Andrukhovich’s short novel “Milena’s Summer”

Abstract

An important feature of Ukrainian literature, especially in the period after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has been the  search for  the  Self, the  awareness and reflection of  one’s own post-colonial traumatic experience, and the search for ways to understand and survive it. The generation of young writers of Ukraine is in the process of shaping a new non-Soviet identity, and the study of this process is of particular importance. Thus, the subject of this research is the first short novel “Milena’s Summer” (2002) by  Sofia Andrukhovich, a  young author from  the  generation of  the  authors of  the  2000s. Literary criticists wrote positive, but very careful review, and now it is very important for us to revisit “Milena’s Summer”. Firstly, this short novel marks the beginning of Sofia Andrukhovich’s literary career, offering a  glimpse into her evolving style; secondly, we aim to  situate it  in the  context of  Ukrainian postmodernism and other young Ukrainian postmodern authors; finaly, we seek to analyse as a stylistic and postcolonialistic guest of  a  young Ukrainian writer, striving to  find a  new non-Soviet identity. The  main objective of  the  article is  to examine postcolonial postcoloniality as  a  stylistic element of the novel. The methodology of the article is based on the methods of postcolonial criticism (Tamara Gundorova, Marko Pavlyshyn, Edward Said) and the semiotic approach to style (Umberto Eco), which help to broadly reveal such important components as the play with the text, the play with the idyll genre, irony, and to describe the author’s techniques This study aims to draw attention to the early creative achievements of Sofia Andrukhovych, as there has not been a comprehensive and in-depth study of  her novels yet. It  identifies and shows postcolonialism as  a  stylistic dominant, describes the role of hyperbole in shaping the artistic worlds of the work, and creates the effect of unrealism. Futhermore, article’s main objective is  to examine postcoloniality as  a  stylistic element that shapes the  novel. The  methodology of  the  article draws on  the  methods of  postcolonial criticism (Tamara Gundorova, Marko Pavlyshyn, Edward Said) and the semiotic approach to style (Umberto Eco), which help to broadly reveal such important components as the play with the text, the play with the idyll genre, irony, and to describe the author’s techniques. This study aims to draw attention to the early creative achievements of  Sofia Andrukhovych, as  there has not yet been a  comprehensive and in-depth study of  her novels. It  identifies and shows postcolonialism as  a  stylistic dominant, describes the role of hyperbole in shaping the artistic worlds of the work, and creates the effect of unrealism. Furthermore, the study and analysis of the early works of the now well-known and ‘mature’ Ukrainian writer offers promising avenues for  further research. This applies both to  Sofia Andrukhovych’s first novels and short stories, which can be analysed in this way, and to her contemporary works, as it may facilitate a broader and deeper understanding and appreciation of her contemporary work.