The Rite of Initiation in Romantic Works of Russian and Foreign Authors of the XIXth Century

Abstract

The relevance of this paper is due to the fact that researchers of the rite of initiation in literary works have mostly ignored the works of the XIX century, focusing on the XX century. The aim of the work: to analyse how the initiation of the main characters occurs in the works of V. Zhukovsky and D. Byron. The material basis of the study was formed by the works of the following authors: A. Gennep, I.V. Vipulis, M. Eliade, G.V. Grinenko, T. I. Lipich, V. G. Simondon. The conclusion is that Harold and Conrad, the main characters of D. Byron's works, do not completely pass the initiation rite, as the experience gained within the liminal phase destroys them. In V. Zhukovsky's Svetlana, on the contrary, the protagonist undergoes a full initiation, as a result of which she receives new emergent qualities.