THE ETHNIC SELF-IMAGE OF 'BABA': BETWEEN TALE AND TRUE STORY (ON THE PROBLEM OF GENDER ROLES IN BELARUSSIAN TALES)

• Authors: Cherniavska Yu.
• Languages of publication: RU

Abstracts

EN

When analyzing Belarussian tales, the 'Baba' (peasant woman) represents the image of the Other in the structure of the ethnic self-image. When comparing to the modest, industrious, kind 'Mouzhik' (peasant man), the 'Baba' appears a peevish, greedy, malicious, and lazy creature. The question is why the Baba's image completely differs from memoir image of the true woman? The authoress looks for the answer at two levels of analysis, textologic as well as structural and functional. At the first level, the Baba's features can be explained as her original connection to evil. From the structural and functional point of view, the Baba is a necessary component of the ethnic self-image because she provides background for the Mouzhik, and other characters appear from the darkness of 'the ethnic self-conscious' to the level of rationalization of their true features and gender roles. Contrary to the common point of view about equality in the relationship between the man and the woman, tales demonstrate women's inequality in traditional Belarussian culture. This proves the masculine character of peasant culture in Belarus.

Keywords

EN

BELARUSSIAN TALES; GENDER ROLES (WOMAN); IMAGE; SELF-IMAGE

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk
• Journal: Slavia Orientalis
• Year: 2006
• Volume: 55
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 373-387
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Cherniavska Yu.

• Yu. Cherniavska, Belarusskij Gosudarstvennyj Universitet Kultury. Minsk, Belarus

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

06PLAAAA01653607