ARCHETYPES OF THE CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS IN GURAM PANJIKIDZE’S NOVELS (‘THE SEVENTH HEAVEN’, ‘THE PRECIOUS GEM’ AND ‘THE YEAR OF THE ACTIVE SUN’)

Abstract

The formation of an individual is achieved through the coordination of conscious and unconscious factors in their inner world. The harmonious or disharmonious relations among these factors contribute to the development of distinctly expressed characteristics, serving as a binding factor in the formation of individualism. The reading of Soviet literary works necessitates a fresh reception, considering the chronotopical context of the era. This reevaluation will significantly alter the perspectives of critics and readers, not only on the narrator but also on the leading characters within the narrative, their characteristics and views, particularly the factors contributing to the conscious or unconscious contents formed in them. This reexamination holds particular interest for post-colonial (post-Soviet) countries, which, following a distinctly different political trajectory, are engaged in the quest for their lost national identity. The analysis of the characters presented in Guram Panjikidze’s novels (‘The Precious Gem’, and ‘The Year of the Active Sun’) shows that the complex process of personality formation is a version conditioned by the congruence of the conscious and unconscious. The influence of any authoritarian state is evident in the collective unconscious, a realm from which individuals seldom seek liberation. This article illustrates how Soviet ideology stifled individuality and independence in the person even in seemingly insignificant aspects. While the individual unconscious is, to some extent, controllable, largely influenced by the quality of upbringing, the same cannot be said for archetypes. Not everyone wishes to rid themselves of archetypes, let alone successfully do so. The awareness of failure inevitably leads to internal and subconscious alienation in an individual, as exemplified by the writer.