45th International Philological Research Conference

«There are no innocents» Intertextual relations between Vladimir Kecmanović’s novel Osama and Ivo Andric’s novel The Damned Yard

Zorana Zvonimir Opačić
Докладчик
профессор
Teacher Education Faculty, University of Belgrade

211
2016-03-17
13:00 - 13:20

Ключевые слова, аннотация

«There are no innocents» Intertextual relations between  Vladimir Kecmanović`s novel Osama (2015) and Ivo Andric`s novel The Damned Yard (1954).

Тезисы

In this paper we analyse two novels in contemporary Serbian literature, which are based on the Andric`s metaphor of the damned yard, which symbolizes not only the cursed fate of the inhabitants of the Balkans, but also the tragic position of an individual in the modern world. We deal with a metatextual novel Osama (2015) by Serbian writer Vladimir Kecmanović (1972) that in its symbolism, structure, narrative strategies, thematic similarity established an intertextual dialogue with the 20th century cult novel of Serbian literature, The  Damned Yard by Ivo Andric (1954). When a member of the new Serbian prose (which sees the role of literature in a critical reflection of reality in the neo-imperial world) bases his novel on the classic literary work, he does it not only to show the universality and actuality of Andric's work, but also to show the fate of the Bosnian space and misconceptions by people of similar mentality. Therefore, the paper indicates intertextual links between novels, conscious similarity in the narrative strategy, types of heroes and narrator, motives, etc. Kecmanović uses different types of metatextual procedures, so Andric's novel exists within Osama as a book in which the heroes find clear analogy with their own lives (Karađoz / Munir; Fr. Peter / narrator, a young man by the window / Writer; investigators / agents CIA, etc). Kecmanović narrative is set in a nameless small town of the late 20th century and discusses the decline and disintegration of Yugoslavia - the socialist era, the surge of nationalism, wars in the 90s and the postwar period. Author ironically testifies about the criminogenic reality, war profiteers, the role of foreign intelligence services, the jihadists as transition new idols. Novels are based Both on the technique of skaz and narrator`s confession, so polyphonically multiplying the other heroes' confessions. Being in America, outside of space and time his narration relates to, the narrator feels the inner need to confess the compatriot belonging to a different religion the events he witnessed and participated in, so continuing the story about the individual and collective tragedy. In the centre of both novels there is an obsessed man of mixed blood, caught between two cultures, who delusively identifies himself with the historical figure. However, what Jam Sultan, the sultan's younger brother, is to Andric`s Camil, that is the international terrorist Osama bin Laden to the young Kecmanovic`s hero Bayazid after his father's death, evidencing not only the parodic persiflage, but also the tragic disorientation of a young man in the period of transition, whose disillusion leads him to frustration, madness and death.