In the dissertation, for the first time genre and style paradigms of Ukrainian Diaspora novels of 1940–1980’s in general (and of 1960–1980’s in particular) are analyzed systematically and profoundly. The author has investigated problems and peculiarities of the interaction between national and world literary traditions in the texts by Diaspora writers. The development of the “big prose” by the Diaspora in the context of novel writing in the countries of Europe and America, where Ukrainians were living after the DP-camps has been discussed. The author thoroughly comprehended the use of world view ideas, topicality and thematic priorities, figurative, genre and style models of the national literature of the 1920–1930’s in the literary practice of Diaspora writers.
The objectivity of the dissertation research was the works of writers of the Ukrainian Diaspora in 19401980’s (more than 100 novels were involved in the survey).
The dissertation introduces into the literary circulation the texts of previously unknown or not well-known authors of the Diaspora, as well as archival materials from the personal archival collections of I. Bahrianyi, H. Kostiuk, Yu. Lavrinenko, M. Orest, U. Samchuk, Yu. Sherekh (epistolary, memoirs, autobiographies), reviews, critics and news reports in the periodicals. Also, on the material of periodicals and writers’ discussions, theoretical discourse on the main directions of the development of Diaspora prose of the 1960–1980’s has been described. And the overview of the main critical sources related to this issue has been prepared. In the research, experiments within the genre of the novel, features and nature of changes in stylistic models during the 19401980’s were demonstrated. The stylistic palette of “big prose” by the Diaspora was substantially enriched due to the modernization of national traditions and on the influence of European cultural experience (German expressionism, French surrealism, etc.).
Besides, the main ways of developing the genre of the novel during the 1960’s and 1980’s were outlined: the continuation of the national writing traditions, the renewal of the novel genre through the combination of national and European traditions, the emergence of modernists’ experimental prose, in particular by the writers of the “New York Group” that illustrated the break with “Nation’s Distributed Model”. The texts by the younger generation of prose writers testified that the genre canon of Diaspora novels expanded at the expense of new genre experiments and due to the influence of literatures of the countries where they lived or culture of which they admired.
The novels by Diaspora efficiently used the achievements of various genres. Genre transformation of the novel in the Diaspora of the 1960’s and 1980’s can be traced at different levels. Modification was due to problematic and thematic development; due to changes in the volume of the work; creation of the river-novel, mini-novel; attempts of genre mixing (a combining fragments of epos, drama and lyrics in one piece); the inclusion of non-literary genres (excerpts from newspapers, announcements, radio talk shows, TV shows), etc. The innovations in genre system became possible at the expense of genre incorporations (from the Bible, folklore, political speeches, philosophical treatises, etc.). An important role was played by inter-branch syncretization: the combination within a single work of theater, music, painting, sculpture, cinematographic installation methods.
In the research, the translations into other languages of novels by I. Bahrianyi, V. Barka, I. Kachurovskyi, Yu. Kosach, I. Kostetskyi, U. Samchuk and perception of their literary works by foreign readers and critics have been discussed.
