THE CONCEPT OF THE “WAR GENERATION” IN THE PROSE BY OLENA MAKSYMENKO

Abstract

The article highlights the problem of forming a new narrative of military literature, which combines features of different genres and forms common generational characteristics of characters in prose works. A comprehensive analysis of the concept of the «war generation» in the creative work of contemporary Ukrainian writer O. Maksymenko is carried out. The relevance of the study is determined by the need for scientific understanding of the transformations of Ukrainian identity under the influence of prolonged armed aggression and the search for new literary forms to represent traumatic experiences. O. Maksymenko’s works are considered as a coherent concept sphere that captures the evolution of the consciousness of participants in the revolutionary and military events of 2014–2025. The fundamental concepts that shape the image of the war generation are analyzed, and the ways in which the author’s texts artistically depict everyday life during the war are examined. It has been established that the key node of the concept sphere in O. Maksymenko’s prose is the concept of «unattachedness», which is interpreted not as passive maladjustment, but as a conscious rejection of false social roles and loyalty to the frontline truth. The meaning of the metaphor «internal crack» is explained, which appears not as a defect of personality, but as the basis of a new identity and experience. It has been proven that the author deconstructs the classic image of the «lost generation», offering instead the concept of a new subjectivity. Her characters demonstrate accelerated maturation and a sense of responsibility. A comparative analysis of the concept of Home reveals the hero’s path from seeking refuge in the ruins of the old world to actively creating his own space of truth. It has been confirmed that O. Maksymenko’s collections of prose are examples of «testimonial literature», where autobiographical elements and reportage-like precision are combined with deep psychological insight, realistic and psychological stories for teenagers reflects the ideals of a new generation, that, through pain and loss, finds its way to its own identity.