MOTIF KINH THÁNH “NGƯỜI CON HOANG ĐÀNG” TRONG NGƯỜI QUẢN TRẠM, TỘI ÁC VÀ HÌNH PHẠT VÀ THẦY LAZARO PHIỀN

Abstract

This article investigates the development of the invariant and variant elements of the biblical motif of the “Prodigal Son” in “The Stationmaster,” “Crime and Punishment,” and “Thầy Lazaro Phiền,” a topic that has received relatively little scholarly attention. Drawing on motif theory, the study analyzes the structure of the biblical motif as the core motif underlying plot construction and examines the stages through which the motif is manifested and transformed in each work. Drawing on biblical exegesis, Christian theology, and Christian philosophy, and situating the works within broader historical and cultural change, the article identifies significant convergences between the Christian literary traditions of Vietnam and Russia. It argues that these convergences laid an important intellectual and aesthetic foundation for later interactions between Vietnamese and Russian literary cultures.