Feminine Melancholy in Works of Irene Nemirovsky

The purpose of the study is to delve into the theme of feminine melancholy in the works of Irène Némirovsky, a prominent French author of Ukrainian-Jewish descent. Némirovsky's texts often showcase complex female characters, grappling with their identities, societal expectations and the feeling of being lost, which in turn, lead to a sense of melancholy. Another crucial idea from Némirovsky's works is the phenomenon of nostalgia, which turns out to be inextricably linked both with the life story of the writer herself and with the plots of her texts. This study aims to analyze these recurring themes and their significance in Némirovsky's overall narrative. Through the analysis of portrayals of human emotions, societal structures, and the complexities of identity we investigate how Némirovsky's texts are imbued with melancholy. The study observes several patterns, which emerge in writings of Irène Némirovsky. Besides, her writings often explore themes such as class conflict, cultural assimilation, the struggle for identity, and the role of women and marginal world in society in Interwar Period in France. These themes and motifs are interwoven with a pervasive sense of nostalgia, sadness, pity, sorrow, gloom, desolation, etc. By examining these phenomena, this research provides insight into the studies of the human experience and its transformation into literary pieces. In addition to reviewing the topic from a historical-cultural perspective, we address the psychological aspect of the issue using the relevant literature. Thus, this study undertake a detailed analysis of melancholy, which is depicted by Irène Némirovsky in her works through cultural duality, binary opposition «us — them», the images of protagonists which often find themselves constrained by societal norms and expectations and who are representatives of the marginalized world. The findings of the research demonstrate a clear link between an author's personality, her biography, and her creative output, especially in the realm of literature. This research enhances our comprehension of the existing tradition of textual analysis of the works of Irene Némirovsky, but adds a new lens: the perspective of fitting into a broader psychological-literary discourse. This study seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of its significance in Némirovsky's overall narrative and its contribution to the broader literary discourse on female identity and melancholy.