Maria Stepanova's 'The Disappearing Act': A Poetic Exploration of Russian Guilt
In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, author Maria Stepanova penned The Disappearing Act from exile, crafting a profound autofictional work that merges memory with fable. This novel delves into the shifting sense of self, grappling with themes of guilt, identity, and the haunting legacy of a homeland transformed by conflict.
A Stranded Novelist's Journey
The story centers on M, a fifty-year-old novelist residing in a serene lakeside setting. Her journey to a literary festival takes an unexpected turn when a series of uncontrollable events leaves her stranded in a quiet, unfamiliar town. With a traveling circus camped on its outskirts, M checks into a hotel, ignores her phone, and wanders aimlessly, reflecting on books, films, and museums from her past.
Her recollections oscillate between grounded fables and vivid realism, particularly memories of her childhood and youth in a country that now exists only on old maps and in history books. M describes this homeland as a "beast" waging war against its neighbor, a clear reference to Russia's actions in Ukraine, which readers can infer without needing the author's biographical note.
Confronting Guilt and Identity
Stepanova, acclaimed for her previous work In Memory of Memory, left Russia after the 2022 invasion, and The Disappearing Act closely mirrors her own experiences. M grapples with the guilt of having lived a life of relative comfort in the beast, questioning whether it was wrong to find joy there. She understands that joy is precisely what the beast seeks to destroy, yet this realization offers little solace as her former compatriots engage in violence.
Her relationship with her homeland's legacy, especially its language, becomes compromised. One poignant retold tale involves a linguist whose tongue is cut out before he can use it, symbolizing M's own struggles. However, the novel's laconic style, infused with poetic echoes and skillfully translated by Sasha Dugdale, demonstrates that M retains her narrative power.
The Disappearing Self and Search for Escape
True to the title, M's presence gradually diminishes as she feels "cut off, a spare limb." Observing young lovers, she senses a disconnect from the economy of erotic exchange, and in a cafe, she forces bread into her mouth to convince herself of her own hunger and existence. These transformations, while alarming, lead to a childlike inner quietness that brings freedom and possibility.
M longs to recreate a dream of traveling to a dacha, shedding years until she becomes a small child again. Inspired by her mother's story of a sign reading "There is no way out," she contemplates an exit strategy. Without a clear plan, she visits the circus and offers to assist in a magic act, involving a painful yet manageable position in a sarcophagus. When asked if she is a Jew, M discards her "Russian novelist" identity and affirms it, seeking a new self beyond societal labels.
A New Beginning Amidst Collective Guilt
The world defines M as a writer, but she yearns to be seen for herself, whatever that may entail. The circus offers a chance for reinvention, and she leaves most possessions behind to join the troupe, walking through the empty town to start anew. The novel echoes a sentiment familiar to many Russians opposing the war: "There was so much guilt around M, and in her, that it was hard to breathe." Authors like Mikhail Shishkin have addressed collective guilt in nonfiction, but Stepanova's poetic imagination uniquely captures the beast's nature.
The Disappearing Act by Maria Stepanova, translated by Sasha Dugdale, is published by Fitzcarraldo. This work stands as a testament to the power of fiction in exploring complex emotional landscapes during times of turmoil.
