The Paradigm of the “Little Man” and Dehumanization in the Short Stories by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Vazha-Phshavela and Franz Kafka (“The Crocodile”/“The Death of Bagrat Zakharich”/ “The Metamorphosis”)

Abstract

From the second half of the 19th century, during the period of the so-called late modern and into the 20th century, dehumanization and alienation emerged as prominent themes in art. The process of dehumanization is also reflected in the paradigm of the ”little man”, which originated from the 19th century Russian literature. These tendencies gave rise to the shared thematic concerns in the writings of the 19th century classical and 20th century modernist authors. The article is going to discuss the short stories by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Vazha-Pshavela, and Franz Kafka, whose protagonists are developed from the image of the “little man”, established in Russian literature, and recurring motifs from these works are going to be identified. Our aim is to highlight the paradigm of dehumanization of the late modern period from the "little man” to modernist literature, and to underscore Vazha-Pshavela’s unique position within this artistic and intellectual framework.

Vazha-Pshavela’s short story “The Death of Bagrat Zakharich” (1889) fully presents the paradigm of the “little man”, with all its associated problems. This story reveals a conceptual affinity with Dostoevsky’s “The Crocodile” (1865). Both works extend beyond the theme of the “little man” to address the more universal issue of dehumanization. In these stories, the problem of transformation of the human being into a mechanized figure within a consumerist society forms a literary-semantic paradigm that connects with Franz Kafka’s modernist short story “Metamorphosis” (1915). Numerous scholars have explored Kafka’s works in relation to that of Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov from various perspectives. These authors, in turn, influenced Vazha-Pshavela, who was deeply familiar with Russian literature. Therefore, when comparing Vazha-Pshavela’s prose with Franz Kafka’s, it is essential to consider the context of Russian literature.

In the selected short stories, the paradigm of dehumanization is constructed through the following motifs: 1. Professional duty and pragmatism have precedence above all other values; 2. Following from this, the central figure in each protagonist’s life is their superior, who is the object of their most intense emotional experiences; 3. A bureaucratic-bourgeois system creates an environment uniting Ivan Matveich, Bagrat Zakharich and Gregor Samsa. In this world, where rank, social status and economic condition are paramount, unconditional personal values are absent; 4. Within this value system, family relations are also dehumanized and devoid of genuine affection; 5. Vazha’s and Kafka’s texts share striking similarity in terms of artistic treatment. The circumstances and characters unfold in such a way that the history of Bagrat Zakharich’s family seems to be continued by the family of Gregor Samsa; 6. In all three stories, objects become extensions of the characters’ very being. Consequently, the authors deliberately distance these objects from the protagonists, as their existence comes to an end; 7. The meaning of these texts is shaped by the character’s fears and supposed “fearlessness”. In the stories of Vazha-Pshavela and Fyodor Dostoevsky the fear about social condition is presented as an unconscious escape route from an existential dread; 8. In all three texts, silence/order serves as a barrier against the spiritual noise, existential anxiety and crisis which may ultimately lead a person to a metamorphosis. While Ivan and Bagrat are inclined to such silence/order, and their transformation is still distant, Gregor disrupts the dehumanized system by his spiritual needs and existential unrest. Consequently, his environment pressures him to conform to order and restriction; 9. All three writers transform protagonists’ spiritual and psychological liminality into an absurd image. By this metamorphosis, their existence becomes intimately bound to death; 10. In Vazha’s and Kafka’s stories, the character's portraits convey their core nostalgic identity. While for Bagrat Zakharich it lies in his work as a clerical official, for Gregor Samsa it is his human past.

Under the influence of Nikolai Gogol, certain literary tendencies emerged in Dostoevsky’s and Vazha-Pshavela’s works. These tendencies, shaped once again by Gogol and Dostoevsky, were later transformed in the writings of Franz Kafka. This process gave rise to a paradigm that traces a trajectory from the “little man” to the dehumanized protagonist of European literature, a tradition to which “The Death of Bagrat Zakharich” belongs.

“The death of Bagrat Zakharich” and “The Crocodile” raise a universal issue through the image of the “little man”. Through exaggeration and absurdity, and by framing the theme in philosophical terms, these stories satirically depict a dehumanized person of a dehumanized society, a human entirely devoid of spirituality. Vazha-Pshavela’s and Franz Kafka’s stories share not only artistic details, but also elements of plot development: 1. Both writers employ character portraits with the same artistic function, to present their nostalgic and longed-for selves 2. They depict similar family situations, which seem to create a single, continuous narrative: 2.1 Bagrat Zakharich is presented as a pre-Gregor Samsa figure not only through literary genesis. He particularly resembles Samsa’s father in terms of appearance and personality, and through his attitude towards his work and his daughter; 2.2. Bagrat and Gregor also share familial responsibilities. The former is burdened by having no heir, while the latter by an inherited debt, the compensation of which defines the course of his life; 3. These texts also share similar endings: 3.1. At the end of both stories writers describe how quickly and indifferently family members grieve the deceased ones and move on focusing on the future; 3.2. Through the death of the protagonists, both authors depict the resolution of their fears, creating an atmosphere of peace and serenity.

Vazha-Pshavela’s short story “The Death of Bagrat Zakharich” holds critical significance in Georgian literary studies. It brings together the theme of the “little man” from 19th century Russian literature with the issue of the late modern period of European literature. His dehumanized protagonist, emerging from the “little man”, becomes an embodiment of the global spiritual crisis of the era. At a time when Georgian literature remains largely confined to narrow national and social issues, “The Death of Bagrat Zakharich”, not only through its influences, but also through the author’s original perspective, engages with the major literary movements of its time.