A CENTURY THROUGH THE PRISM OF ONE STORY (KOTE JANDIERI’S ‘GLOBALIZATION’)

Abstract

The reality of 20th-century Georgia has often been reflected in fiction across various genres and styles, whether fully realized in voluminous epic genres  such as novels or long stories,  or partially captured — focusing on a specific stage, a crucial event, or an outstanding individual and their story. In such cases, the plot may revolve around a single story or an individual character. In this respect, Kote Jandieri’s ‘Globalization’ is an interesting story that serves as the literary reflection of an entire epoch; the narration starts in the 1920s and continues into the 21st century. The author restores and presents a comprehensive picture, depicting all the significant events and facts that shaped the extraordinarily diverse twentieth century and influenced the social life of that period. The narration is conducted by a single character, a peasant from Kamechaantkari, and all the political and social events are presented from the perspective of his family. The writer achieves the goal in a mere 50-page story by employing a specific device. The narration unfolds through recollections of the past. The character both creates and narrates the stories, occasionally offering evaluations. Consequently, the text combines narration and reflection. However, this synthesis is so delicate and uniform that it does not produce either stylistic abundance or a mosaic-like texture. The paper will analyze specific aspects of Kote Jandieri’s story using semiotic and hermeneutic methods.