Japanese Aesthetics of Death in the Works of V. Pelevin

In the works of Viktor Pelevin, Japanese characters commit suicide under the influence of a unique Japanese aesthetics of death, where death symbolizes beauty and honor. The formation of this idea about death is closely related to the spirit of Bushido, the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, and Japanese aesthetics. This article examines the role of the aesthetics of death in the artistic world of Pelevin based on an analysis of plots in which the protagonist dies. The materials of the study are the works of Viktor Pelevin that are directly related to the Japanese aesthetics of death: "Chapayev and Void" (1996), "A Guest at the Bon Festival" (part of the book "DPP (HH)", 2003), and "Duel" (part of the book "Transhumanism Inc.", 2021). The subject of the research is the Japanese motifs of death in the writer's prose. The study employed intertextual and comparative analysis methods to identify philosophical subtexts and their sources. The scientific novelty of this research lies, firstly, in the detailed examination of the deaths of Pelevin's Japanese characters and their motives. Secondly, the Japanese aesthetics of death in the selected materials had not been fully revealed, and this study conducted additional intertextual analysis to it and defined its place in Pelevin's prose. As a result of the research, it was established that in the actions and words of Pelevin's Japanese characters, aesthetic ideas that best express the Japanese character unconsciously penetrate. The spirit of Bushido and the Japanese aesthetics of death provide these characters with the opportunity for poetic self-destruction; however, its description is usually ironic in nature. The function of contemplation and spiritual practice for the Japanese characters is most often to serve as a contrast to the true path of enlightenment.

Victor Pelevin, bushido, zen buddhism, aesthetics of death, enlightenment, philosophy, Yukio Mishima, Mono no aware, seppuku, Emptiness