THE MARVELOUS HERTS’ AS A LITERARY STRATEGY OF RESISTANCE IN WAR NARRATIVES

Abstract

This article analyzes Viktoriia Mikhieienko's The Marvelous Herts’, or How the Ukrainians and the French Saved a River in Burgundy as a multifaceted work transcending conventional children's literature. Although officially categorized as a children's book, the narrative explores profound philosophical, cultural, and existential themes through the experiences of seven-year-old Levko and his grandmother Ulia, Ukrainian refugees living in France.The study employs literary-critical, intertextual, philosophical, and ecocritical methodologies to examine the work's intricate symbolism and broader cultural significance. The central concept of "Herts'" emerges not merely as a physical confrontation but as a philosophical framework encompassing internal, moral, and spiritual struggle. The narrative's ecological metaphor, the battle against the invasive Jussie plant threatening the Arroux, serves as an allegory for contemporary threats to both cultural and natural environments.The research reveals how V. Mikhieienko constructs an intercultural dialogue between the Ukrainian Cossack ethos and French chivalric traditions through the friendship of Levko and the French girl Eva. The work demonstrates existentialist dimensions, with characters making authentic choices in confronting absurdity and adversity. Grandmother Ulia embodies stoic wisdom, teaching resilience through generational continuity and cultural preservation.The article concludes that The Marvelous Herts’ functions as a literary manifesto of the Ukrainian spirit, presenting resistance as both external action and internal transformation, making it a significant contribution to understanding the role of contemporary Ukrainian literature in shaping cultural identity during wartime.