Color Symbolism in the Story “The Black Monk” by A.P. Chekhov
https://doi.org/10.26907/2658-3321.2023.6.2.155-164
Keywords:
color symbolism, color designation, color painting, Russian literature, The Black Monk by A.P. ChekhovAbstract
Recently, the interest of literary critics in the study of color painting in the work of poets and writers has increased, the analysis of whose works allows us to reveal the semantics of color, the state and inner world of heroes. Color painting is an integral element of A.P. Chekhov, therefore, the study of the coloring of the writer's prose is an urgent problem. The article is devoted to the poetics of color designations in A.P. Chekhov "The Black Monk". The colors that form the main coloristic background of the story are highlighted. Black, white, red colors show the complex inner experiences and state of mind of the main characters of the hero, convey their rich emotional world and at the same time create grounds for ambiguous interpretation of their images and the meaning of the story as a whole. The article proposes a comparative analysis of the canonical meanings of basic colors and their functions in Chekhov's text. It is shown what role the combination of basic colors plays in the meaning formation of the story. On the example of the analysis of portrait characteristics and landscape fragments, the techniques that form the ambiguity of color semantics are highlighted. In conclusion, it is emphasized that thanks to the color painting in the story, there is scope for the associative work of the reader's imagination, a metaphorical connection is formed between its characters and the author's position is expressed.
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