TWO NOVELS, TWO ATTEMPTS AT OVERCOMING TRADITION (KHACHATUR ABOVYAN'S "WOUNDS OF ARMENIA" AND YEGHISHE CHARENTS' "THE LAND OF NAIRI")

Abstract

This article examines the mechanisms of tradition overcoming in Khachatur Abovyan's "Wounds of Armenia" and Yeghishe Charents' "Land of Nairi" novels. The study demonstrates that these works represent two different models of literary innovation, each providing a unique response to the literary crisis of its time. The research applies Franco Moretti's compromise theory, Edward Said's orientalism critique, and Bakhtin's genre approaches. Abovyan's model is characterized as a "substitutional" strategy, where old elements (classical Armenian, sacred content) are completely replaced by new ones (dialect, romantic-national material). Charents' model is presented as a "critical" method, where traditional forms are preserved while being subjected to irony and reinterpretation. The article reveals the cyclical nature of tradition overcoming, showing that Abovyan's revolutionary achievements become the object of Charents' criticism. It concludes that the similarity between the two novels lies not in content but in methodological identity – both consciously destroy the literary conventions of their time. The study reveals that the novel as a Western form requires constant renewal and overcoming of established traditions to maintain its viability. The research contributes to understanding the dynamics of literary development in "minor" literatures and demonstrates how global genres adapt to local cultural contexts through conscious rejection of previous achievements.