Abstract
The article deals with the problem of interpreting the text of classical literature from the perspective of post-structuralism by implementing a deconstruction strategy. B. Akunin’s play “The Seagull”, representing the result of the deconstruction of A. Chekhov’s comedy with the same name, demonstrates the possibilities of a post-structuralist approach in interpreting the main aspects of one of the most famous drama works of the classic: specifics of genre, composition, peculiarities of interpretation of images of actors, contexts of different types. B. Akunin considers the problem of the author’s definition of the classic “The Seagull” genre as a comedy by testing the possibilities of transcoding the text into the formats of comedy del arte and detective. The question of Chekhov’s play architectonics is considered at the level of research of probable changes of the semantic dominant of the artistic world while abandoning the most significant elements of the composition: the open ending and the “ghost” fifth action. A similar technique is used when considering images of actors: Chekhov’s refusal to divide characters into main and secondary ones is replaced by the opportunity given to each character to act as the main. The problem of Chekhov’s poetic subtext is considered through its relationship with context, which materializes directly in Akunin’s text “The Seagull”. B. Akunin’s play is a multilevel text that can be labeled, among other things, as a literary essay showing postmodern sensitivity in terms of a special way of presenting information in the works of a humanitarian profile. “The Seagull” by B. Akunin in this sense is a “functioning model”, on the one hand, allowing to clearly represent the system of the main aspects of Czech studies in terms of understanding the specifics of A. Chekhov’s play, on the other - by deconstruction to activate the multiple semantic codes hidden in its text.
Key words
Post-structuralism, Deconstruction, Chekhov, Akunin, Context, Genre, Semantic Code, Architects.