THE CHARACTER AND THE ERA: ZVIAD GAMSAKHURDIA’S LITERARY REPRESENTATION IN LASHA BUGADZE’S „IN THE NAME OF GEORGIA“ AND NINO HARATISCHWILI’S „THE EIGHTH LIFE“

Abstract

This study investigates the transformation of historical figures into literary characters in contemporary Georgian prose, focusing on the representation of Zviad Gamsakhurdia in Nino Haratischwili’s „The Eighth Life“ and Lasha Bugadze’s „In the Name of Georgia“. The research aims to elucidate the ways in which contemporary literature intertwines historical memory with artistic imagination, to examine how moral and psychological dimensions are constructed within the literary portrayal of historical leaders, and to analyze how this process reflects the dynamic interplay between factual history and fictional narrative.

Methodologically, the study employs historical-literary analysis, close textual interpretation, and contextual reading. In Bugadze’s novel, Gamsakhurdia emerges as a complex and multifaceted character, embodying national messianism, political tragedy, and societal disillusionment. Conversely, in Haratischwili’s work, although Gamsakhurdia does not directly appear as a character, the socio-political atmosphere of his era profoundly shapes the narrative structure and the psychological development of the protagonists.

The analysis reveals that both novels offer complementary yet distinct perspectives on Georgia’s recent history, emphasizing the multiplicity of approaches to the literary representation of political leadership. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that the works of Bugadze and Haratischwili function not only as literary archives of collective memory but also as significant instruments for the psychological exploration of national trauma and individual existential crises.

Kaywords:  Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Nino Kharatishvili, Lasha Bughadze, Insufficient Light, In the Name of Georgia, Historical Figure in Literature, Artistic Representation, Historical Memory.