Obraz železnoj dorogi v romane M. Stepanovoj Fokus
The image of the railway in M. Stepanova’s novel Focus

russian

2025

volume 73, issue 3

21st century   intertextuality   journey   railway   Russian literature   Russian novel

Slavistično društvo Slovenije
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

This article examines the image of the railway as a structuring element in M. Stepanova’s 2024 novel Focus. The railway acts as an element of the language system and is represented in the intertextual field. It is also associated with the mastery of time. Key themes include travel, theater, and language. The plot of the journey is realized as movement through the labyrinth of the unconscious, inside the world library, and as an analogy to writing. The main character is defined by trickster traits, as she explores the prospects of a civilized person in an absurd present. On a narrative level, the character is endowed with free will and overcomes the author’s intention. This explains the abundance of analogies to well-known plots in search of an escape from the text. The story in the novel is merely a pretext for readers to create their own version of the text through independent associations.

19.02.2026