TIME IN THE NOVELS OF MILOS CRNJANSKI - Nottingham eTheses

CHAPTER SIX
spokesperson for the whole Isakovi~
family and the
Serbian nation. Pavle's sense of bein~-in-time in the
mythic time scale of Kosovo is a process of eternal
repetition. The myth is without end in human terms.
since it represents the national existence. and will
continue after his death.
Pavle's apparent willin~ness
to die in battle represents the continuity of the myth.
This sense of self-presence and promise of meanin~
in life stands in contrast to Pavle's acknowled~ement
of
chan~e.
The times of the Turkish wars are over. and he
reco~nises that there may come chan~es in· future
~enerations.
Pavle reflects these features of chance
and transience in time in his personal memories. in
which meanin~ and purpose are not self-present. Close
to the be~innin~
of the novel he is imprisoned by
Garsuli for his part in the disturbances amonest the
Serbs.
The comment is made that "u tom zatvoru. aplenik
be brzo nau~io kako ;Ie u mrtva~kom sanduku. a izeubio bi
i po;lam 0
vremenu" ("in the prison. the detainee would
quickly learn what it is like in a coffin. and he would
even lose his sense of time" 102).
However. Pavle does
not lose his concept of time •. In his consciousness he
continues to record memories and sensations.
He
reflects on his meetine with Garsuli •. about which
"toliko ;Ie bio zadovol;lan. onim Ito Garsulijure~e.
da
;Ie malo falilo pa da. po svom obiaa;lu. po~ladi
svo;le.
svilene. plave. brke" ("he was so satisfied by what he
319