Reconsideration of the Parable

The article deals with the parable as a genre. The attention to the parable is determined by the fact that the interest in the subject does not wane, and each author, using the traditions of the genre, brings something new, acting as an innovator. The first thing that attracts our attention is the differences of the modern parable as a genre. Today there is no edification and instruction in it. It does not give a ready answer, but forces to reflect on the proposed topic. The parable easily connects with other genres of literature, deepening their meaning. In modern fiction, the popularity of the parable as a genre makes those who turn to the parable reflect on its essence, boundaries, the possibilities of their expansion or, conversely, narrowing, on the ways of genre contamination and transformation. The breadth of the application of the nomination ”parable” and the variation of judgments about its possibilities are impressive. Not only the basic features of its poetics become important, but also its additional definitions and typology. This article is based on Russian fiction of the second half of the twentieth century. First of all, in these texts one can see striking attempts of young heroes to make a complete assessment about the world around them. All conflicts are based on demonstrative protest. Functionally, the parable continues to display situations with a proposal of possible ways of solving them and indicating the consequences, and also continues to be the bearer of traditions, and the mediator of cultural relations. Our research is focused on such basic features of the genre as the need for an all­-comprehending explanation, the evaluation of human behavior, the ambivalence of the moral situation and generalizing judgments.