Existential crisis in the novels “The Human Sea” and “Struggle in the Desert” by Vagif Sultanli

The article examines the evolution of the internal conflict typical of an existential crisis exhibited by the characters in the novels “The Human Sea” and “Struggle in the Desert” by the renowned writer and literary critic Vagif Sultanli. It is shown that a single wrong decision or a momentary choice of the characters leads to a loss of meaning in life, to feelings of “uselessness”, hopelessness, and loneliness. The aim of the study is to describe the process of a person’s alienation from the existing world, to show the transformation of an individual isolated from society into an asocial being, and to trace the evolution of the feeling of uncertainty about one’s future and loss of meaning in life as a cause of an existential crisis. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that Vagif Sultanli’s novels “The Human Sea” and “Struggle in the Desert” are explored for the first time in terms of analyzing the idea of human freedom of choice and responsibility for one’s choice. Reflections on their fate and purpose create an internal conflict in the soul of the heroes, which allows for the analysis of the writer’s novels in the context of an existential crisis. As a result of the study, it was found that the existential crisis in the works “The Human Sea” and “Struggle in the Desert” by Vagif Sultanli stems from the physical and emotional exhaustion of the heroes of the novels from endless reflections on the meaninglessness of life, from fear and uncertainty about the future.