Refraction of the tradition of Bildungsroman in V. Pelevin’s novel “Generation P”

The article is devoted to the analysis of the novel by V. Pelevin “Generation P” in the context of the tradition of Bildungsroman. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time the writer’s novel “Generation P” is considered in the genre aspect. The aim of the work is to reveal the specificity of refraction of the tradition of Bildungsroman in “Generation P”. As a result of the study it is established, firstly, that, despite the priority of the study of Bildungsroman by Western researchers, the most important role in the study of its genre specifics, structural features, constitutive genre features, and the image of the protagonist belongs to M. M. Bakhtin. Secondly, V. Pelevin’s postmodern novel “Generation P”, combining elements of social fiction, satire, and philosophical novel, is created on the genre model of Bildungsroman, including all its main elements: the biographical principle of construction; the stage path of development of the protagonist seeking to find himself and his place in the world; the presence of “teachers” who guide the hero in his journey and supposedly help him find himself. At the same time, the writer modifies the tradition somewhat: his hero in the process of realizing true freedom, climbing the career ladder, realizes that he squanders his best qualities; playing with pre-texts and synthesis with Bildungsroman of inserted genres allows the writer to comprehend significant problems (loss of spirituality in modern consumer society; transformation of reality and man into simulacra).