Fairy-Tale Elements in the Plot Structure of the Novels in Oleksandr Havrosh’s “Museum of Adventures” Series
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15330/clid.3.1.36-48Keywords:
Oleksandr Havrosh, “Museum of Adventures”, fairy-taleness, fairy-tale motifs, historical adventure novel, children's literatureAbstract
The article explores the artistic specificity and functional role of fairy-tale elements within the plot structure of contemporary historical and adventure prose for children and youth, using Oleksandr Havrosh’s series “Museum of Adventures” as a primary case study. The relevance of the topic is determined by the need to study innovative genre modifications that combine historical authenticity with fantastic elements to engage young readers in exploring the national past.
The study employs a comprehensive approach based on literary-critical and compositional-structural analysis. The concept of “fairy-taleness” is revealed as an immanent feature of literature for the youth, appearing not only as a genre marker but as an internal principle of text organization. It is established that in the analyzed series (“Museum of Adventures”, “Saving Taras Shevchenko”, “Heroic Vacations”, “Genius Love”, “The Castle of Love”), the author implements an organic synthesis of the real and the fictional, where fairy-tale motifs play a key plot-forming role.
Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the cycle’s recurring structural elements: the image of a magical artifact (a museum rocking chair), the motif of time travel, and the use of magical formulas. It is proved that these elements serve as a portal between the present and the past (17th, 19th, and 20th centuries), allowing the characters to interact with historical figures (T. Shevchenko, I. Franko, A. Voloshyn, etc.). It is found that fairy-tale elements in O. Havrosh’s work perform multi-vector functions: cognitive (revitalizing history), educational (shaping national identity), and emotional-recreational.
The study concludes that the “Museum of Adventures” series is a cohesive artistic cycle where fairy-tale elements act as an effective tool for the artistic reconstruction of historical memory. Such a combination ensures narrative dynamics and facilitates the effective adaptation of complex socio-cultural meanings for child and adolescent audiences.
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