The “Buratino Text”: Mythology of Discourse and Image Semantics (Based on A. Tolstoy’s tale “The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Buratino”)
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Abstract
Abstract. This article explores the textual and mythological semantics of the characters Buratino and Papa Carlo, which
are manifested differently in A. Tolstoy’s tale and its numerous variations.
Scientific Novelty. Ukrainian humanities lack publications addressing the mythological semantics of the main characters
in A. Tolstoy’s tale “The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Buratino” and its literary-cultural interpretations.
Conclusions. The “Buratino text” is a complex formation comprising Tolstoy’s tale and its literary, artistic, and other
remakes. As such, it constantly evolves, adapting to the social realities of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods.
Despite the “text’s” dynamic nature, its main character – Buratino – remains a wooden puppet, indicating the static nature
of this image, which undergoes no qualitative change. Studying the semantics of the “Buratino text” helps us understand the
cultural processes of the 1930s and their impact on the formation of contemporary mental templates, especially the distinctive
traits of the “Soviet person,” which remain relevant today. In this context, some behavioral stereotypes of Russians become
clearer, as Buratino’s image transforms into an archetype. The reasons for this popularity are historically grounded and linked
to authentic Russian folklore characters – Petrushka, Ivan the Fool, and Yemelya. However, unlike Buratino, these characters
evolve, which allows associating some episodes with the journey of Campbell’s hero. Buratino, by contrast, does not gain
“adult” experience and forever remains a wooden puppet “playing himself.” This reveals a connection between Tolstoy’s
character and the circus clown, who is amusing precisely when suffering. Perhaps this is the secret of the image’s enduring
popularity – it resonated with the ordinary “Soviet,” and later “Russian,” person, who endured countless hardships and
humiliations while “building communism” or “Great Russia.”
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References
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