Functions and Forms of Representation of Smileys and Emojis in Contemporary Russian Prose (Based on Works by E. Vodolazkin, V. Pelevin, A. Salnikov and R. Senchin)

The study of the specifics of cultural symbolization in contemporary fiction is relevant due to its significance in culture, where literature is still one of the mechanisms for transmitting cultural heritage. At the same time, the nature of modern discourse is such that not only signs and meanings are radically changing, but also the forms of reflection on these changes. One of the vectors of these transformations is linked to the process of digitalization, which has also affected literature. The aim of this study is to outline the functions of smileys and emojis in the works of leading contemporary writers through an analysis of their forms of representation. The research objectives are as follows: 1) to trace the main approaches to the transformation of discursive practices and establish the possibilities and limitations of applying these findings to fiction; 2) to determine the significance of smileys and emojis in the implementation of mimetic techniques in contemporary literature; 3) to describe the forms and types of smileys used by leading contemporary Russian writers; 4) to identify the functions of smileys and emojis in fiction; 5) to systematize the obtained data against the background of an analysis of realist and postmodernist techniques reflecting discursive practices of the digital era in the studied texts. The research material consists of recently published texts, containing relevant graphic symbols (smileys and emojis), by prominent Russian writers — those who are contenders for and recipients of the country’s major literary awards, receive regular critical attention, and are associated with leading literary journals and the professional literary community. The primary focus is on the works of V. Pelevin, E. Vodolazkin, A. Salnikov, and R. Senchin. The selection methodology was based on random sampling, drawing from literary prize processes and critical reviews. Methods traditionally used to analyze smileys in online communication — such as the cultural-historical approach, content analysis, semiotic analysis, and linguistic analysis — were applied to these literary texts. As a result, new material is introduced into academic discourse, i.e. smileys and emojis in recently published prose works, specifically Invincible Sun (2020) by V. Pelevin, Chagin (2022) by E. Vodolazkin, Occultträger (2022) by A. Salnikov, and the short story Barbie (written in 2012 and published in 2024) by R. Senchin. It has been concluded that leading contemporary Russian writers exhibit a certain (restrained) interest in the transformation of discursive practices under the influence of digitalization. Smileys are primarily used for mimetic purposes — to convey psychologically realistic details of modern communication, reflecting generational connections and positive attitudes in writing. The study shows that these authors employ smileys in their simplest graphic form (parentheses) or through verbal descriptions. The functions of smileys are diverse: they serve as a means of complex emotional expression in figurative form, function as etiquette markers, and act as punctuation signs. In almost all cases, emoticons represent characters' online communication rather than direct authorial addresses to the reader.

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