Ecocritical Approach to V. P. Astafyev’s novel ‘‘The Last Bow’’

The purpose of this article is to study The Last Bow by V. P. Astafyev from the point of view of ecocriticism. A textual analysis of this book is carried out from the point of view of the author’s views on the relationship between a man and the nature. At the same time, special attention is paid to the priority of such relationships between them, which create a balanced ecosystem necessary for the existence of both humans and natural landscapes. The book is considered in the key of the family saga genre. It is traced how Astafyev describes the relationship of people with nature and how these relationships change with the change of generations. The problem is discussed in the context of the ecological crisis as a result of technological progress within the framework of the theoretical foundations of ecocriticism presented in the works of such ecocritics as Greg Garrard, William Rueckert, Cheryll Glotfelty, Richard Kerridge, and Charles E. Bressler. As a result of the research, it is shown that Astafyev acts as an eco-critic using autobiographical material, which makes this book a phenomenon for raising readers’ awareness of a well-balanced ecosystem and at the same time assumes a moral responsibility of man to nature.