TIME IN THE NOVELS OF MILOS CRNJANSKI - Nottingham eTheses

CHAPTER FIVE
London at the time" 67). When Rjepnin ~oes to the
Labour Exchan~e to find work. the c~erk assumes that he
is Po~ish. and even when to~d that he is Russian
continues to assume that he is Po~ish.
The episode
inc~udes
a minor incident in which Rjepnin has to spe~~
out his name. and becomes an~ry at the c~erk's inabi~ity
to understand correct~y what he is sayin~. He responds
scornfu~~y to Rjepnin's temper ~emarkin~. "Treba da daje
ta~ne podatke. Oficir. dip~omat? ~ta je? Ko je?" ("He
shou~d ~ive his exact detai~s. Officer. dip~omat? What
is he? Who is he?" 68). This is one of a number of
occasions on which Rjepnin finds that his n .. e and
nationa~ identity are not takenserious~y. inc~udin~
occasions on which it is su~~ested
to him that he chan~e
his name to one which the En~~ish can hand~e more easi~y
(69) •
Fo~~owin~ the cha~~en~e to his identity in the
Labour Exchan~e. Rjepnin's memories be~in to take on a
new ur~ency:
Kad je iz11ao iz te Berze rada. otpo~inje
opet hodanje kroz rulev1ne. i kroz ma~~u.
1 kroz ze~ene o~1 ma~aka. Treba opet
kora~ati. kora~ati. pored zida. dok mu u
moz~u jure s~1ke Ker~a. Rus1je.
ukrcavanja. f~ote u A~!1ru. pOderan1h
~izama. pijanki. tu~a i od~aska. sa !enom
koja p~a~e. u Pra~. ~de mu je ruski
komitet nalao mesta (70).
When he came out of the Labour Exchanae.
he a~ain be~an the wa~k across the ruins.
and throu~h the foa. and across the eat's
eyes. He a~ain has to step. step. by the
wa~~. whi~e in his mind rush pictures of
Kerch. Russia. embarkation. the f~eet in