The Struggle for Life in the World after the Accident: The Key Motives of the Story V. Vasilchuk “Chornobyl Misadventures Of Bucha”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15330/clid.2.1.75-83Keywords:
childrenʼs literature, Chornobyl, Chornobyl topic, environmental problems, natureAbstract
The accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 is one of the tragic events in the history of the Ukrainian people. The catastrophe is reflected in various forms of art, including literature. Both works of adult literature (works by I. Drach, B. Oliinyk, Yu. Shcherbak, V. Yavorivskyi, A. Andrzheievskyi, O. Veklenko, M. Kamysh, O. Pareniuk and others) and childrenʼs literature (L. Daien, Y. Hutsalo, A. Andrzheievskyi, B. Krasavtsev, K. Mikhalitsyna, S. Dvornytskyi, A. Mukharskyi) are dedicated to the Chornobyl accident. The emergence of works on new topics has led to the study of such literature. There are several approaches to the question of which genre Chornobyl-related works belong to. In particular, some researchers refer these works to the Chornobyl genre (M. Pavlyshyn), others to eco-fiction (M. Vardanian) or to works about nuclear energy (I. Suhenko).
Therefore, the works of this topic are aimed at depicting the negative consequences of the Chornobyl accident, both anthropocentric and ecocentric. One of the first stories that drew attention to the condition of animals and beasts after the evacuation of the population following the tragedy was V. Vasylchuk’s Chornobyl misadventures of Bucha. The story highlights the fate of Bucha, a dog who fought for survival. The common misfortune became a unifying factor for animals and beasts. Creatures together found food, protected and rescued each other. The difficulties of survival in a deserted environment are compounded by the presence of radiation. So, despite nature's ability to regenerate, Bucha still dies. Thus, nature suffers because of irresponsible human actions. The work pays special attention to the ethical aspects of human responsibility for the environment and living beings affected by a man-made disaster. The issues of humanity, compassion, and attempts to comprehend the way animals exist after Chornobyl are considered.
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