FAMILY CONFLICT AND THE POETICS OF MEMORY INL. ULITSKAYA'S NOVEL “MEDEA AND HER CHILDREN”

2025

Full text Open access: Hybrid Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.55956/ctkl9655
Data confidence 70 medium
How this score is calculated

It is built from checkable properties of the record itself: whether the article has a DOI, how many independent sources confirmed its data, whether the required fields are filled in, and how recent the latest confirmation is. Disagreement between sources and a missing identifier lower it. A value of 80 or above means the record was published without further checking; 60 to 79 means it is published at reduced confidence, with a manual check advisable. A record verified by an editor by hand is never pushed below 90 by a recalculation. This scores our data about the article, not the article itself.

Abstract

This article explores Lyudmila Ulitskaya’s novel «Medea and Her Children» through the lens of family conflict as a mechanism for memory reconstruction. The analysis focuses on the transformation of the mythological figure of Medea into a unifying force within the family, embodying forgiveness, care, and spiritual resilience. The study examines the spatial and temporal structure of the novel, in which Medea’s house functions as a sacred center that connects generations and ensures cultural continuity. Special attention is given to the symbolism of memory, the transmission of family stories, and rituals that reflect the characters’ identities. The methodology combines semiotic and mythological analysis with the theories of collective memory by Maurice Halbwachs and philosophical concepts by Karl Jaspers. The article concludes that family conflicts in the novel serve not as a destructive force but as a means of strengthening identity and the link between past and present. The study highlights the novel’s significance within the context of contemporary Russian literature, mythopoetics, and literary interpretations of memory.