ABOUT THE QUEEN OF SPADES BY ALEXANDER PUSHKIN AND ITS HERITAGE IN THE PRESENT LITERATURE (THE JACK OF SPADES BY BORIS AKUNIN)

The history of Herman, a young German who reacted only to the glitter of gold, and an elderly, rich woman originated in Boldino in 1833. Pushkin's novel contains the code of figures 2, 3 and 7, as well as connections with commedia dell'arte, and symbols of Harlequin and Pierrot. There is a similar phenomenon in Borys Akunin's novel entitled 'The Jack of Spades', where the Jack of Spades is a card of great importance. The analysis of characters' behaviours and colours accompanying them provides an interesting insight. Their reading through the tradition of a country comedy sheds a different light on the meaning of this work. It is very difficult to say authoritatively that Akunin decided to create a work referring to the concept and structure of Pushkin's 'The Queen of Spades'. It is possible that the code of commedia dell'arte appearing in 'The Jack of Spades' is unintentional.