Sarajevo vs Zagreb in the Prose of M. Jergović

Abstract

The article analyzes and compares the images of two significant toposes of Jergović’s work, Sarajevo and Zagreb, based on such works as “Sarajevo Marlborough”, “Transatlantic Mail”, “Tušta I tma”, “Sarajevo. Plan grada”, “Troje na Kartal” and others. In the Jergović’s work, Sarajevo is a symbol of a lost home, and at the same time a part of his own identity, while Zagreb often appears as a hostile territory, different, alien, not ready to give place to a special Sarajevo spirit, which, however, in the author’s opinion, cannot be restored in modern post-war Sarajevo. The exceptional atmosphere of Sarajevo, according to Jergović, lies in its isolation and solitude. Despite the fact that this article mainly used works about modern times, it is suggested that the opposition of Sarajevo and Zagreb is present in almost all of M. Jergovic’s works. And if the image of Sarajevo changes, as does the author’s artistic method in depicting the besieged city, then the image of the Croatian capital remains unchanged from work to work. This opposition undoubtedly reflects the biographies of many Bosnian refugees, one of whom is the author himself.

Received: 03.09.2024.
Revised: 17.09.2024.
Accepted: 24.09.2024.

Citation
Shatko E. V. Sarajevo vs Zagreb in the Prose of M. Jergović // Slavic Almanac. 2024. No 3–4. P. 284–294 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2024.3-4.15