«The collapse» of engineer Garin: N.G. Garin-Mikhailovsky and A.N. Tolstoy

In this article, a comparative analysis of two stories regarding childhood has been carried out –
“Tyoma’s Childhood” by N.G. Garin-Mikhailovsky and “Nikita’s Childhood” by A.N. Tolstoy. Analyzing the initial plot situations of the two stories, key episodes and denouements, the author of the article comes to the conclusion that A.N. Tolstoy has undertaken a kind of revision of the narrative of his predecessor, writing not just another version of “childhood”, but simply an anti-Garin literary work. The reasons for this revision have both biographical and creative roots: being personally acquainted with N.G. Garin-Mikhailovsky in his youth and influenced by him, later A.N. Tolstoy came to the conclusion of reconsidering his juvenile ideals, contrasting synthetism with Garin’s analyticism, and collapse and disharmony poetry – with the poetry of fullness of being and cheerful affirmation. The motives of fear, death, and comprehension of fatherhood are carefully examined. Furthermore, special attention is paid to the analysis of “vertical” episodes in each of the two stories that “stand out” against the background of the general “horizontal” narration (in case of N. Garin-Mikhailovsky, this is the episode of the protagonist coming down / descent into the old well, in A. Tolstoy – the protagonist’s “praying” in the traveling coach).