Light and Darkness in Literary Works by M. Kucherskaya

Abstract

The analysis of the issues of light and darkness in literary works by M. Kucherskaya was conducted on the basis of her novel God of Rain (2007). The writer presents the history of conversion of the main character, Ania, an MGU student, to Orthodox religion. The action takes places in mid 1980s - late 1990s. On her way to God, the character experiences sufferings and balances between the light of belief and the darkness of sin, i.e. her love to a clergyman, father Antonij. Kucherskaya applies different meanings of the word ‘light’: in some cases she refers to natural lights that acquires symbolic meaning while in
others she means internal light that brightens the darkness of the character’s soul (most frequently, the writer refers to symbolic meanings of light from the New Testament). The character experiences the light of belief; Ania begins to feel the presence of Jesus Christ in her heart. Unfortunately, in the course of time, the light is being replaced with the light of love for Father Antonij, a man both physically and psychologically weak. However, regardless of the sinful feeling towards the clergyman, the seed of belief sprouts and develops in the character’s soul.