Abstract
This article examines the functioning of the infernal code within the chronotope structure of A. M. Remizov's novella “The Cross Sisters.” An analysis of Burkov's depiction of his house and surrounding area reveals an explication of French literary traditions, particularly the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. The city emerges as a topos in which the boundaries between sleep and reality are characterized by increased permeability, which determines the hero's inability to resist dark desires and simultaneously makes him a potential victim of external threats. A further intensification of the infernal discourse is noticeable in Burkov's depiction of his house. The topos of Burkov's house manifests the integration of various literary traditions in “The Cross Sisters.” The house's interior, as well as the relationships between its inhabitants, at first glance, actualize the metaphor of the house as a representative of social relations, characteristic of the Romantic tradition and a key image in Russian literature of the 1860s. However, the abundance of violent episodes, the heightened grotesque, and the nature of the characters' interactions indicate a reduction in social connotations. The deformation of stable hierarchies, the dominance of sensual desires, and the characters' ironic attitude towards events manifest the significant role of the infernal code and, at the same time, suggest an explication of the medieval tradition of depicting hell and likening heroes to demons. Thus, the logic of the plot's development, the range of artistic techniques, the author's point of view, and the system of characters emphasize the dominant role of the infernal code in the structure of “The Cross Sisters,” simultaneously delineating the extent of A. M. Remizov's anthropological pessimism.
Keywords
A. M. Remizov, “The Cross Sisters”, city, inferno, hell, chronotope, room, house.