Kotlovan: such'ya zazhimka

[Robert Chandler]

Dear Maria, David and all,

I'm certainly not confident of anything in these realms, but I would like to
make it clear that I was not imagining that 'zazhimat' v kulak' could
normally be used to REFER to a kulak as a person.  What I was wondering was
whether, in this context i.e. that  of all the denunciations and
counter-denunications during collectivisation, it might possibly HINT at the
meaning of 'kulak' as a person.

If you and other native speakers see this as utterly impossible, I will
stand corrected.

David's suggestion that zazhimka refers to the situation refer than to the
activist himself is an appealing one, but I still don't think it quite fits.
Zhachev is usually supremely confident of being able to achieve what he
wants.  It would be unlike him to think of there being no way out of a
situation.  And there certainly is a way out in this case; the activist will
be murdered about 15 lines later!

Best Wishes, and thanks to all,

Robert

>> Given that collectivisation and raskulachivanie are central to Kotlovan, is
>> it possible that 'such'ya zazhimka' also hints at the quite common phrase
>> 'zazhimat' v kulak'?
>     
> No, it isn't.    
> This common phrase can never refer to a kulak as a person, only as a fist.
> So the variant   
>     
>> ŒGrabbing cunt of a _kulak_,¹
> -- has nothing to do with the original. (but for thr grabbing cunt, I suppose)
> You can refer to him as an extremely greedy person, and
> scoundrel, in as slangy way as possible. 
>     
> With best regards,
> Maria    
> 
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