Nodar Dumbadze’s Short Story The Return of Odysseus: A Reflection on Georgia’s Geopolitical Situation

Abstract

Nodar Dumbadze’s short story The Return of Odysseus represents a distinctly unique narrative within his literary oeuvre, yet it has been largely overlooked by literary critics. Although the story provides highly engaging and rich material related to both literature and literary history, as well as contemporary issues in Georgia's recent history, it stands as a testament to artistic-documentary collaboration. Considering its contemporary context, the writer is compelled to represent reality using ambiguous statements and passages while also leaving an "escape route" open. Consequently, this approach inevitably creates significant opportunities for misinterpretation and even conflicting interpretations of the text, which can be resolved through a thorough understanding of the work's overall context and a detailed analysis. Earlier, we examined this story in another article, emphasizing that superficial interpretations have led to opinions suggesting that the writer disparages America’s development in favor of glorifying the Soviet Union. However, simply by analyzing the text in greater depth and considering the nature of the frequently encoded segments it contains, we find that the overall picture presents a completely opposite perspective.

In our opinion, The Return of Odysseus is a work written with deep sorrow, frequently evoking in the reader an ineffable sensation of regret, melancholy, or grief, especially in Georgian readers. This sorrow may stem from concerns regarding national identity in some instances, from the diminishing significance of the Georgian language and literature in others, and elsewhere it reflects a sense of regret about limitations on democratization, lost opportunities, and a sense of being left behind in time.

This work can be seen as a continuation of our previously mentioned article, since the focus of our ongoing inquiry also relies on the accurate reading of ambiguous segments and phrases. Consequently, it clearly highlights the writer's understanding of Georgia's geopolitical situation under Soviet conditions and constraints.