Motif of Deal with Devil in K. J. Wahlgren's Novel "The Personal File of Player Rubashov": Literary and Cultural Context

This study investigates the representation of the motif of the deal with the devil in K. J. Wahlgren's novel "The Personal File of Player Rubashov" (1996). The relevance of this research lies in the opportunity to re-examine Russian classical literature of the 19th century through the lens of a contemporary Swedish author, who embodies a different cultural perspective. The novelty of this work is that it demonstrates, for the first time, how the motif of the deal with the devil unifies disparate elements of the cultural and historical context within a postmodern text. The inter-textual analysis draws on works by I. V. Goethe, A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, M. Yu. Lermontov, F. M. Dostoevsky, and O. de Balzac to interpret Wahlgren's engagement with this motif. It is shown that Wahlgren employs theatrical techniques in the novel, synthesizing high art (tragedy) with low art (comedy). The study emphasizes that the motif of the deal with the devil serves as a catalyst for the plot and a convenient tool for engaging with elements of mythology and folklore within the context of 20th-century postmodernism. The authors argue that the writer posits an idea of humanism: the protagonist, punished with immortality yet maintaining kindness and compassion despite various trials, ultimately finds solace.