The article discusses political and ethical problems raised in A. Lindgren’s later novel «The Brothers Lionheart». The conceptual difference between the works of A. Lindgren written from the early 1940s to mid-1970s is analyzed. The analysis of the text reveals the strengthening of traditional humanistic motives and the return to the idea of nonresistance to evil. It is argued that Lindgren’s abandonment of her ideas of the early period, like in the case of most other writers who advocated active transformation of society, is due to the disappointment in the methods of social reforms. Lindgren concludes that any transformation of life, even if it is conceived for people’s benefit, is accompanied by violence. The ideal hero of the novel is a man who does not cross the moral line. Thus, an ethical conflict becomes the focus of the novel. The self-sacrifice path of the hero who symbolizes the perfect good is presented in the form of a journey to alternative worlds after death. Lindgren uses some elements of a fairy tale, fantasy, political parable, dystopia. The symbolism of the novel refers to the biblical imagery. The novel’s motifs, the nature of the conflict and the poetics suggest the use of Christian sentimentalism traditions in this work.
|
