Croatian bećarac as dystopian narrative

Abstract

When analyzing different forms of correlation between utopian and dystopian narratives, several questions should be considered. One of the questions can be whether it is possible to look for utopian or especially dystopian elements within the framework of the minimalist form. Furthermore, another question that arises is whether this kind of analysis can be applied to the ten-verse couplet, which has a specific structure and content. Namely, it is, among other things, conditioned by an artifact and an accurate representation of everyday social events, both those on a macro level and a micro level. Considering this, the paper aims to analyze whether it is possible to read assumptions about the future directions of dehumanization as well as those about the preservation of human freedom and dignity in the minimalist form such as bećarac. For this purpose, the paper will analyze bećarac folk songs with thematic frameworks related to the current pandemic caused by the coronavirus.

Keywords

• bećarac
• decasyllabic
• dystopian narrative
• analysis
• pandemic