Analysis Of Motifs In Guzel Yakhina’S Novel Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes

Guzel Shamilevna Yakhina(1977-)is a Russian writer of Tatar origin.Her debut novel Zuleikha opens her eyes(2015)tells about a Tatar woman’s self-consciousness awakening in her struggle with fate.The novel combines the individual story with the national history,implicating profound connotations.Therefore,it won "Book of the Year","Yasnaya Polyana","Big Book","Reader’s" awards,and got shortlisted in "Russian Booker" and "NOS" prizes.Studies of the novel in Russia consist of reviews that analyze the camp theme,feminine destiny,character images,Tatar words and cinematic style.In China,little attention has been paid to systematic analysis of this novel.The thesis focuses on motifs of the novel,which can contribute to understanding the author’s artistic features and studying feminine camp prose.The study also sheds light on the traditional Tatar villages and the special period in Soviet history.Based on the theory of feminine literature and camp prose,the study uses comparative,descriptive-analytical,inductive methods and contextual analysis to clarify the theme and main motifs of the novel,as well as its artistic characteristics,which help reveal the motifs.Definition of the theme serves as a theoretical basis for in-depth analysis of motifs.The thesis briefly covers the traditions and development of Russian campprose,presents opinions about the novel and its theme.Yakhina chooses an oppressed woman as the narration focus and emphasizes female identity awakening in the labor camp.The novel features both feminine literature and camp prose,so it can be presumably classified as "feminine camp prose".Analysis centers around the main motifs of the novel: survival,love and death.The motif of survival reveals value of human life under inhumanly cruel conditions,shows that in the camp the suffering heroine acquires spiritual freedom and begins to live truly.The motif of love elaborates her maternal love and female affection,between which she feels vacillating and upset.Only after letting her child enter a new life does she bravely accept true love and live for herself.The motif of death reveals changes in her attitude towards life and death.When she is about to abandon her life,the camp shows that life and death alternate one another,which awakens her desire for life.Having overcome hardship and setbacks,she becomes much stronger and more rational to perceive death.Artistic characteristics permeate the whole text and help reveal main motifs.Tatar words and expressions depict the Tatar patriarchal life and Zuleikha’s blocked inner heart.Legends and stories reflect the characters’ suffers and spiritual evolution.The cinematic style of narration dynamically promotes plot development,deepens emotions of characters.These artistic features endow the novel with universal meanings and historical connotations.In conclusion,the novel continues the traditions of camp prose,shows individual destinies and personality awakening in the special period from feminine perspective.With various artistic techniques,Yakhina describes death and survival,hatred and love,grief and hope.The debutant writer integrates concerns about the feminine fate into the vision of a nation and even the common destiny of mankind,which indicates her creative talents.