The Concept of the Sacred in Post-Soviet Literature
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The Concept of the Sacred in Post-Soviet Literature By Akvilina Cicenaite A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies Victoria University of Wellington 2013 Abstract Rejecting the prior essentialist assumptions connected with the classical notions of the sacred, this dissertation argues for the redefinition of this concept and its use as an analytical tool. Religion, too, should no longer be held as a privileged space for the emergence of the sacred. The sacred is held not to be a numinous phenomenon experienced privately, a universal term, or of an unchangeable structure. Instead, it is a relative and temporary category constructed through certain cultural practices, which helps us disclose the concepts of meaning, identity and community. Such a redefined notion can be applied when speaking about contemporary culture and literature. This dissertation presents Russian writer Victor Pelevin as a case study, demonstrating the possibility to speak of the sacred in the seemingly secular post-Soviet milieu. It provides insights into the role of the sacred in his works and introduces new possible approaches towards his writings and his position in Russian literature. Moreover, the analysis of Pelevin’s works shows that this redefined understanding of the sacred is productive not only in his writings, but also in general in the studies of sacrality in the postmodern world, making this post-Soviet sacred a more extensive concept, applicable in a wide variety of contexts. 2 Acknowledgements Victoria University of Wellington was my home for the past three years. I am deeply grateful for all the people I met here and for all the possibilities to learn I was gifted. First, I wish to thank my two supervisors: Dr Arthur Buehler was my primary supervisor for the first years, and Professor Paul Morris took over this role during the final year. Professor Morris was an unending source of wisdom, humour, encouragement and inspiration; it has been a real privilege to work with him on this project. Dr Buehler helped me to approach writing in a more effective way and introduced me to the subtle nuances of academic work. Thank you both for putting up with me in the early stages of my writing. Special thanks go to Aliki Kalliabetsos for her kindness, support and understanding. Thank you for teaching me how to be strong in tough times. I would also like to thank my colleagues from the Religious Studies programme for their encouragement and friendship: Kevin Connors, Eda Czarnecki, Alan Edwards, Lisa Eyre, Dr William Hoverd, Atsushi Iseki, Dr Negar Partow, Katja Strehle, and Michael Teitelbaum. You made this journey easier. Many thanks to my dear friends in New Zealand, Lithuania, and to those scattered all around the world, who taught me that the time one enjoys wasting is not wasted time. I wish to specially thank the two most beautiful women on earth, Virgina Ciceniene and Vanda Sodaitiene. My Mother and Sister, and all my family taught me what the notion of ‘absolute love’ really means. Finally, I am immensely grateful to Patrick Charles for his endless patience, support and love, and for the wisdom from the German aerospace engineer Max Munk, who pioneered aircraft wing theory. “The ‘emptiness’ above a wing makes a plane fly, which leads to infinite [destination] possibilities.” My research was assisted by a Victoria University of Wellington Postgraduate Scholarship for PhD study. 3 Table of Contents Introduction................................................................................................................................6 Chapter 1: What Is the Sacred?................................................................................................11 1.1. A Brief History of the Sacred........................................................................................12 1.2. Rudolf Otto and the ‘Wholly Other’ .............................................................................16 1.2.1. The Holy, the Sacred, and the Sublime ..................................................................16 1.2.2. Critical Accounts ....................................................................................................18 1.3. Mircea Eliade and the Golden Age of the Sacred .........................................................20 1.3.1. The Sacred in Modernity ........................................................................................22 1.3.2. Critical Accounts ....................................................................................................23 1.4. Emile Durkheim and Society as Sacred ........................................................................26 1.4.1. Critical Accounts ....................................................................................................30 1.5. The Contemporary Sacred.............................................................................................31 1.6. Conclusions...................................................................................................................35 Chapter 2: The Sacred as Literary Tool...................................................................................37 2.1. Sacred Space, Sacred Persons .......................................................................................38 2.2. The Notion of Ritual .....................................................................................................39 2.3. The Typology of Ritual.................................................................................................42 2.4. Sacrifice.........................................................................................................................44 2.5. Initiation ........................................................................................................................47 2.6. Liminality......................................................................................................................50 2.7. The Alternative Quest for the Sacred............................................................................54 2.8. Conclusions...................................................................................................................60 Chapter 3: The Post-Soviet Condition: Reinventing the Sacred..............................................61 3.1. The End of the ‘Eternal State’.......................................................................................62 3.2. Religion Between Soviet and Post-Soviet Worlds........................................................65 3.3. Liminal Identities ..........................................................................................................71 3.4. Russian Tradition: Literature as Religion .....................................................................76 3.5. Conclusions...................................................................................................................82 Chapter 4: V. Pelevin’s Prose: General Features.....................................................................85 4.1. Victor Pelevin: From the Eternal State to the Eternal Non-Return...............................85 4.2. Pelevin as a Sacred Figure ............................................................................................89 4 4.3. Liminal Spirituality .......................................................................................................94 4.4. Deconstruction and the ‘Productive Void’....................................................................95 4.5. Liminality in Pelevin’s Texts........................................................................................99 4.6. Sacred Space in Pelevin’s Prose..................................................................................104 4.7. Sacred Persons in Pelevin’s Prose...............................................................................110 4.8. Conclusions.................................................................................................................117 Chapter 5: Initiation and Sacrifice in V. Pelevin’s Prose ......................................................119 5.1. The Making of a Soviet Man.......................................................................................120 5.2. Becoming an Adult......................................................................................................126 5.3. Becoming a God..........................................................................................................130 5.4. The Great Fall from Grace ..........................................................................................134 5.5. The Ultimate Transformation......................................................................................140 5.6. Conclusions.................................................................................................................145 Chapter 6: The Sacred as Escape in V. Pelevin’s Prose ........................................................148 6.1. The Sacred Trip to Babylon ........................................................................................150 6.2. The Tale of Three Towers...........................................................................................154 6.3. The Double Life ..........................................................................................................157 6.4. Drug of Boredom and Suffering..................................................................................163