The Return

Description

It‘s about a short description of Andrei Bely’s novel, The Return:
Setting
The novel develops in Russia during the early 20th century, against the historical background of the 1905 Russian Revolution.
Plot
The novel focuses on the life of a former revolutionary who abandoned his radical past and attempted to re-acculture into the Russian way of life, Mikhail Ableukhov.
Mikhail’s return to Russia is, however, coupled with a strange mix of disillusionment and disconnection. As he tries to find his way around his past and present, Mikhail becomes involved with a series of surreal and dreamlike events.
The novel interweaves with the father, Nikolai Ableukhov, a great and proud aristocrat. In it, their paths come together in a dramatic, symbolical confrontation that reflects the disorder and turmoil of the times.
Themes
Throughout the novel, Bely explores themes of:
Identity and disillusionment
The search for meaning and purpose
Father-son relations
Politics and spirituality
The collapse and disintegration of modern life
Characters
Mihail Ableuchov: Main character, former revolutionary who tries to readjust into Russian life.
Nicolai Ableuchov: Father of Mihail, a rich and influential aristocrat.
Sofia Petrovna: A mysterious and mystical woman who starts interfering in Mihail‘s life.
Senator Ableuchov: Brother of Nikolai, representation of the old aristocracy.
Style
The style of Bely’s narration of The Return is defined by the following features:
Poetic and symbolic language
blurring the lines between realism and surrealism
emphasis on the inner life and emotions of the characters.
A use of dreamlike and fantastical elements to explore themes and ideas
An experiment with non-linear narrative structures and with multiple narrative voices
Overall, The Return is a complex, multilayered novel that explores the disillusionments and fragmentation of modern life, while searching for meaning and purpose in a world that is changing rapidly.