«Լանկա Պօսթանին. Պախըճի Պատուելի Մը». Հակոբ Պարոնյանի նորահայտ մանրապատումը որպես «Մեծապատիվ Մուրացկանները» վիպակի նախահիմք/The newly found short story by Hakob Paronyan «The Lanka Postani: an honourable predictor» as a basis for the novelette «The Honourable beggars»

Abstract

In the article, for the first time, the newly found short story - “The Lanka Postani: An Honourable Predictor” by Hakob Paronyan - is analyzed, which remained on the pages of the satirical newspaper “Tatron” (“Theatre”) of Constantinople (particularly in the 73, 74, 75, 77 and 79 issues of the 1874 and the 84th issue of the 1875) and its copyright was never assigned to the brilliant satirist. In parallel, the similarities (ideological, figurative, narrative) that are specific to the short story and satirical novelette “The Honourable Beggars” are presented: in both works, Paronyan created characters of honourable beggars who, meeting with illiterate and gullible merchants, resort to lies and forgery in order to preserve their miserable existence and obtain the means of survival. Factually, “The Lanka Postani: An Honourable Predictor” has become the basis of “The Honourable Beggars”. Over time, the satirist improved the idea of the short story, enriched it with characters and expanded the plot, creating a perfect satirical novelette.