Motif of light in “Autumn light” by B. Zaytsev

B. Zaytsev is one of the most significant figures of Russian emigration, the emigrant of the first wave, whose prose has left a noticeable trace in Russian literature. One of the favorite genres of the writer was the genre of the story. The subject of this article is the story “Autumn Light”, which was first published in 1919. The story belongs to the transitional period in the writer’s creative process, when his style changed significantly. Light symbolism occupies an important place in B. Zaytsev’s works. So does it in the story “Autumn Light”, that is stated in the title of the story. The article concludes that in the story the motif of light is semantically close to the image of the Moon, which is genetically traced both to romantic aesthetics, and to Russian religious and philosophical traditions. In this story this motive is a symbol of the perfect world, passing into the past. This motif is also included in the structure of the hero’s image. Sunlight in the artistic space of the text does not reach the ground, it is surrounded by damp haze. The hero’s thoughts are hazed too and he is full of doubts. The fragility of life and temporality of existence are emphasized in the story by the moonlight, ghostly and lifeless.