Comparative analysis of the “expressions” of the character of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain in P.P. Bazhov’s fairy tale “The Malachite Box” and the actant of the mountain mistress in the Ural folk tale “The Stone Bowl”

INTRODUCTION. Nowadays, fairy tales remain surprisingly relevant, despite the age of digitalization and the overabundance of modern entertainment. Eternal values in a dynamic world determine the genetic code of culture. Because of this, the study of fairy tales inspires not only scientists, writers, but also cinematographers, composers, and artists. The structure of the narrative of the fairy tale makes it possible to reveal the inner qualities of the character using the ideas of V.J. Propp and A.J. Greimas. Propp’s concept makes it possible to draw up a seven-person scheme, and Propp’s methodology makes it possible to create a seven-character scheme. Greimasa makes additions to this model using linguistic analysis and introduces the concepts of the actor and the actor model. Thus, the purpose of the study is to compare the “verbalization of expressions” of the characters in P.P. Bazhov’s fairy tale “The Malachite Box” of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain and the folk tale “The Stone Bowl” of the mountain mistress, using philological analysis based on the concept of V.J. Propp and the methodology of A.J. Greimas. Thus, the results of this research can be used in teaching Russian, in philology, in the analysis of the philological text, in fairy-tale therapy (in psychology).

MATERIALS AND METHODS. The research material was the author’s fairy tale by P.P. Bazhov “The Malachite Casket” and the folk tale of the Urals “The Stone Bowl”. The method of comparison using philological analysis is applied, based on the concept of V.J. Propp of functional characters and the method of the actant model of A.J. Greimas.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Using philological analysis, the characteristics of the characters of the author’s and folk tales were determined, and the comparison method made it possible to identify the similarities and differences between the actors. Seven-character schemes according to V. Propp or the actant model according to A.J. Greimas are compiled. This type of analysis helps philologists to delve into the ethnic peculiarity of the Ural people.

CONCLUSION. The complementary methods of the Russian folklorist and the French structuralist provide a more accurate consideration of the narrative structure not only of fairy tales, but also of practically any text. The results of the research can be applied in lectures on folklore studies and the Russian language.

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