Father figure in Alexander Chudakov’s novelistic idyll A Gloom Descends upon the Ancient Steps: narrative strategies

This study aims to identify the narrative strategies used to craft the image of Pyotr Stremoukhov’s father in Alexander Chudakov’s novelistic idyll A Gloom Descends upon the Ancient Steps. This character is examined as a distinct subject of research for the fi rst time. Through narratological analysis, several key narrative strategies were identifi ed: an appeal to the idyllic chronotope, the incorporation of folklore genres into the narrative, the use of quotation discourse to develop a provocative strategy, blending tragic and comic elements, and the employment of unreliable narration. The depiction of Pyotr Stremoukhov as the creator and protector of the family aligns with the family-oriented idyllic chronotope. Folklore elements within the novel (family lore genres or proverbs) serve to deepen the characterization of the hero. The image of the father is also linked to the archetype of Don Quixote, the eternal hero of world literature: feeling oppressed by the Soviet system, the character paradoxically idealizes it; he is a romantic fi gure striving passionately for the values of the past and present. The novelistic idyll incorporates reminiscences of Cervantes’ novel. Pyotr Stremoukhov’s character holds a special place within the novel’s system of characters, correlating with and often opposing his grandfather. The moral infl uence exerted by the father and the grandfather profoundly shapes the protagonist’s development.