PARADOXES OF “THE COFFIN-MAKER”: EXPLICIT AND HIDDEN ELEMENTS
One of obscure places in “The Coffin-maker” is the inscription on the sign advertising his services, since it contains elements that contradict common sense. The article provides a brief critical review of the existing interpretations of this inscription. It is shown that this absurd inscription has a narrative potential, predicting subsequent events that “occurred” in the character’s dream. In this aspect, it is an example of the so-called inverse metaphor. It also has an iconic character, as it advertises non-existent services to send to the world of nonexistence. The article reveals a number of other narrative aspects of the story that are present in an implicit form, which is an example of a hidden plot. As a result of the reconstruction of the omitted plot links, a number of circumstances of the undertaker’s personal history, related to his family and the history of moving, are restored, which allows us to understand the nature of his experiences, with the description of which the story begins. The logic of the plot leads to the assumption: soon after the coffin-maker joyfully realizes that the nightmarish events were a dream, the news of the real death of Tryukhina should follow.