RECREATION OF EQALITARIAN FAMILY RELATIONS THROUGH THE PRISM OF FEMINOCENTRISM IN O. ZABUZHKO’S FAMILY SAGA “MUSEUM OF ABANDONED SECRETS”

Abstract

The article attempts to analyze Oksana Zabuzhko’s family novel “Museum of Abandoned Secrets” from the point of view of the depiction of family relations, which are constructed by the main characters as egalitarian. The tasks set by the author include: 1) to trace the correlation between femininity and masculinity that occurs in a modern Ukrainian family using the example of the images of the heroes of the work; 2) establish how the author sees an ideal egalitarian family from the point of view of “feminocentrism”; 3) outline the role of a woman and a man in a modern egalitarian family through the prism of the author’s interpretation; 4) to determine the genrestylistic features of the family saga “Museum of Abandoned Secrets” by Oksana Zabuzhko, namely, to focus on “feminocentrism” as a special defining feature of the writer’s artistic prose and on a unique phenomenon of modern Ukrainian women’s literature. During the research, it was observed that one of the author’s message of the novel is to focus on the theme of family relations: the heroine-intellectual, who throughout her life cannot build relationships with men, finally finds an ideal man and falls in love with him. The main characters are united by an ancient history: Daryna Goshchynska finds old photos, conducts a journalistic investigation and solves old mysteries, Adrian Vatamaniuk is connected by family ties to the characters in the photo. Through the images of the main characters and through the prism of “feminocentrism”, the author depicts an ideal egalitarian family, endowing the heroine with masculinity traits, and the hero with femininity traits. The woman is depicted as active and determined, while the man is somewhat sensitive and emotional. And thanks to this, their relationship is based on friendship, mutual respect and love. Each member of this family has equal rights and responsibilities and is responsible for his actions. It was concluded that such an egalitarian family, from the point of view of the author, who reproduces the modern family from the position of “feminocentrism”, is ideal for modern Ukrainian society.