IN SEARCH OF LIFE EXPERIENCE AND WISDOM (ORIGINALITY OF THE FAIRY TALE BY IVAN FRANKO “ABOUT A NOBLEMAN LOOKING FOR А TROUBLE”)

The paper deals with the story “About a Nobleman Looking for а Trouble” (1887) by Ivan Franko and highlights its genre peculiarities. The major attention is drawn to the dominant features indicating the fairy-tale nature of the story. The literary sources of the plot, the system of characters, biblical allusions, main issues as well as the reception of the work by contemporary criticism have been explored. The story by Ivan Franko was based on Ukrainian folk tales about the search for trouble performed by a nobleman or a priest. In the field of struggle between the forces of good and evil, the images of the young magician — Messiah — Jesus Christ and the Тrouble become the central symbols of the tale. The Misfortune archetype, which is directly linked to Franko’s perception of the people, suffering under circumstances of total dependence on the landlords, must be analyzed with attention to the people’s outlook and the author’s individual thinking. The young magician appears as Messiah, and it helps to bring a nobleman closer to something eternal and make him reevaluate his own life. These images perform important functions in the plot and composition of the work, revealing active changes in the character of a nobleman and forming the philosophical and psychological discourse of the author. There is a variety of associations between the light in the Bible and in Franko’s tale. The “light that enlightens everyone” causes enlightenment of а nobleman. The inner state of the hero at the moment of enlightenment is revealed in prayer. The prayer monologue demonstrates openness, sincerity, the immediacy of self-expression and despair, and at the same time hopelessness.  The plot of the tale “About a Nobleman Looking for а Trouble” is related to Franko’s unfinished poem “About a Richman Who Went to Buy а Trouble” (written in 1887). The research also involves some other prose works by the writer.