THE CONCEPT OF TIME AND ITS NARRATIVE FUNCTIONALITY IN BLAKE CROUCH'S SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL “RECURSION”

Abstract

The article examines the specificity of the artistic representation of the concept time and its narrative functions in Blake Crouch's science fiction novel «Recursion». The temporal structure of the work, the mechanisms of construction of multiple timelines, as well as the relationship between the conceptualization of time and the construction of the narrative are analyzed. It is proved that the conceptual model of time in the novel is based on the idea of non-linear temporality and multiplicity of realities, which reinforce the humanistic and existential tonality of the novel's narrative. It is noted that time does not appear as an abstract value, but as a dimension of human experience, inextricably linked with memory, identity and interpersonal relationships, therefore the concept of time performs a structure-creating function in the work, determining the compositional organization of the work: recursive narrative structure, multiple focalization and a complex system of anachronies directly derive from the temporal concept of the novel and create an artistic form of the philosophical text character Emphasis is placed on the fact that temporal instability in the work functions as a platform for philosophical reflection on the nature of reality, freedom of will, and the ethical consequences of manipulating the past, which contributes to the disclosure of fundamental questions about the relationship between the objective and the subjective, about the possibility of authentic experience in conditions of «reality shift», about the value of individual choice in a deterministic universe. It is studied that in the novel «Recursion» time travel destroys the classical effect of causality, creating different time lines that coexist in the memory of the characters. In this way, an actual experiment with narratological models is implemented, where the fragmentation and non-linearity of the narrative become dominant. It was revealed that the complex time-space structure of B. Crouch's novel forms a specific receptive strategy, which requires the reader to constantly rethink what he has previously read and reproduce the recursive logic of the characters. This creates the effect of cognitive alienation typical of the science fiction genre, but at the same time provides emotional engagement through identification with the characters' existential choices.