MAN AS A REDUNDANT INSTRUMENT: A COLLAPSE IN FOUR MOVEMENTS IN “A BALLAD FOR GEORG HENIG” BY VIKTOR PASKOV

Abstract

The current study situates Viktor Paskov’s “A Ballad for Georg Henig” within the broader discourse on social and moral decline and examines the process by which the individual is displaced from being the artist of one’s own life to being a redundant tool. The analysis focuses on the interaction between values, art, and social environment, revealing the spiritual, moral, and cultural deficiencies in the characters’ behavior, choices, and interpersonal relationships. Particular attention is paid to the mechanisms of transformation that underscore the erosion of traditional moral foundations and the imposition of new pseudo-value models, illustrating how social pressure contributes to the marginalization of the individual.