FEMINIST DISCOURSE OF INDIVIDUATION IN THE NOVEL BY MARIA MATIOS «MOSKALITSA»

Abstract

The article presents a study of the peculiarities of the artistic embodiment of individuation, a psychological concept of C. G. Jung. This process is characterized from the point of view of the feminist discourse of Ukrainian literature and literary criticism, dedicated to the reflection and analysis of women's writing as a representation of a special life experience and psychological world. The achievements of V. Ageieva, S. Pavlychko, S. Zhygun and Т. Grebeniuk are used as a theoretical basis for the ideological vector of the research. Taking into account this vision of feminist discourse, the works of Maria Matios are identified as those that are most appropriate to analyze in terms of reflecting female existence in the fullness of its dimensions. The feminine model of individuation is examined on the basis of the novel “Moskalitsa” by Maria Matios, which depicts the mental development of a woman in the historical interval. According to C. G. Jung, individuation takes place throughout life, but at certain intervals it can have a different pace and go through crisis points that will contribute to qualitative transformations of the psyche. This process involves the formation of archetypes of the individual unconscious and the integration of archetypes of the collective unconscious. Maria Matios portrays Severina's development in fragments, focusing on the significant moments in the woman's life that contribute to changing her self-perception and vision of society. The precisely conveyed historical context allows us to comprehend the dramatic impact of wars and totalitarianism on women's destiny. The deep psychologism of the work allows for a detailed examination of mental phenomena using analytical psychology. The practical part of the study examines the main episodes of the novel, which constitute a special model of female individuation in unfavorable conditions, which can be interpreted as a collective image of the tragedy of a woman under the influence of traumatic circumstances. The novel's material identifies the factors that contribute to the distortion of the harmonious process of mental development: deprivation of a full-fledged family, the absence of images of the main archetypes of the collective unconscious (the Great Mother and the Wise Old Man), generic psychological trauma and rejection by society. As a consequence, Maria Matios depicts the loss of physicality (sexuality) and introversion of the individual, which is visualized through Severina's taciturnity and reclusiveness. However, at the same time, the traumatic experience in the work can be seen as a way to comprehend the transcendent and mobilize mental and physical strength to survive in adverse conditions.