Tesi sul tema "Russian prose literature – 21st century"

Cette thèse présente la première monographie française sur le grand écrivain russe et sibérien Victor Astafiev. Peu traduite en français, son œuvre importante (15 volumes) est généralement considérée par la critique comme s’inscrivant dans la veine de la prose rurale qui se développa en Russie à partir des années 70. Cependant, la biographie de l’écrivain et la multiplicité des thèmes qu’il aborde (société, guerre, musique, sons et nature) impose une remise en question de cette interprétation. L’auteur de la thèse s’attache à analyser finement les textes mis en contexte, à étudier l’évolution et la spécificité linguistique de leur écriture pour situer Astafiev dans la tradition de la grande littérature russe et faire apparaitre la profondeur et l’actualité de ses écrits. Le volume II livre une série de traductions inédites, annotées et commentées, ainsi que les versions reconstituées de chansons dont les textes révèlent un trésor de la culture populaire de l’époque
This thesis presents the first French monograph on the great Russian and Siberian writer, Viktor Petrovich Astafiev. His important work (15 volumes), little-translated into French, is generally praised by critics as taking place within the same framework of the Village Prose, which started growing in Russia from the seventies onwards. However, the biography of the writer and the multiple themes which he takes up (society, war, music, sounds and nature) call into question this interpretation. The thesis author attempts to carry out a shrewd analysis of the texts placed within their context and to study the linguistic development as well as the specificity of Astafiev writings in order to situate him in the tradition of the great Russian literature and to highlight the depth and the topicality of his work. The second volume delivers a whole series of unpublished translations, duly annotated and commented as well as restored versions of songs, the texts of which reveal a treasure of the popular culture in the context of that time

This thesis is a comparative literary study which is conducted by placing the reception of Russian literature in Spain during the period 1918-36 within the context of the interplay of literature and the social and political situations in which it is written. It first places the boom in the publication of Russian literature in the late 1920s and 1930s within the context of the history of the reception of Russian literature in Spain, providing a comprehensive survey of that history. Next, it describes the impact of the Russian Revolution and the formative years of the Soviet Socialist state on the political situation in pre-Civil War Spain, including the ideological links between the political situations of both countries. In pre-Civil War Spain, the revolutionary atmosphere changed the mood, subject matter and style of literature, and certain writers, recognizing their civic duty, began to produce literature that had a socially critical and didactic role. During that period, given the political context and the development of politically committed literature, Spanish intellectuals and artists of a Marxist persuasion derived incentive from their Russian counterparts. Russian literature has traditionally been the forum for social criticism, and has had a profoundly revolutionary dimension. Pre-revolutionary writers such as Dostoevsky and Andreev have been perceived by outsiders as revolutionary writers, and, in that capacity, have enjoyed great popularity abroad, including Spain. In the Soviet era, Mayakovsky was often considered to be the "Poet of the Revolution", and Gorky was the chief spokesman in the promotion of socialist ideals in literature in the twenty years following the Revolution. In Spanish pre-Civil War fiction, both the social novel and poetry were instrumental in conveying overtly Marxist messages. The thesis concludes with a comprehensive study about certain Spanish writers and their works, in the domains of poetry and the novel, specifically seeking evidence of the impact of the literature and ideology which was emanating from Russia in the first third of the twentieth century.

Seamus Heaney's prose poetics return repeatedly to the adequacy of poetry, its ameliorative, restorative response to the inimical reality of life in the public domain. Drawing on manuscript as well as print sources, this thesis charts the development of this central theme, demonstrating the extent to which it threads throughout the whole of Heaney's thought, from his earliest conceptual formation to his late cultural poetics. Heaney's preoccupation with this idea largely originates in his undergraduate studies where he encounters Leavis and Arnold's accounts of poetry's adequacy: its ameliorative cultural and spiritual function. He also inherits, from Romantic and modernist influences, two differing accounts of poetry's relationship to reality. That conflicted inheritance engenders a crisis within Heaney's own early theorisation of poetry's adequacy to the violence of public life. An important period of clarification ensues, out of which emerge the dualisms of his later thought, and his emphasis on poetry's capacity to encompass, and yet remain separate from, ‘history'. Accompanied by habitual appropriation of Christian doctrine and language, these conceptual structures increasingly assume a redemptive pattern. By the mid-1990s, Heaney's humanist commitment to a ‘totally adequate' poetry has assumed a thoroughly Arnoldian character. The logical strain of his conceptual constructions—particularly the emphasis on poetry's autonomy from history—becomes acutely apparent, revealing just how appropriate the ambivalent ideal ‘adequacy' is. The subsequent expansion of Heaney's poetics into a general affirmation of the arts illuminates the fiduciary character of his trust in poetry while exposing the limits of that trust: Heaney's belief in poetry's adequacy constitutes a humanist substitute for—indeed, an ‘afterimage' of—Christian belief. This, finally, is the deep significance of the idea of adequacy to Heaney's thought: it allows us to identify precisely the Arnoldian origin, the late humanist character, and the limits of his troubled trust in poetry.

Este trabalho é composto pela tradução da novela O rei Lear da estepe, de Ivan Turguêniev, publicada em 1870, seguida de um breve comentário sobre a influência do dramaturgo inglês William Shakespeare na literatura russa. Em seguida há um estudo sobre o skaz literário presente na novela e da estilização, um recurso estilístico teorizado por Mikhail Bakhtin e Yuri Tyniánov. Assim como a paródia, a estilização é também a recriação de uma obra consagrada, mas, ao contrário daquela, não possui efeito cômico e sim concordância de sentido com o texto no qual foi inspirada. Por fim, há um apontamento sobre a existência de elementos do folclore russo no texto e comentários sobre a tradução baseados em cotejos com versões francesa, inglesa e portuguesa.
This research consist of a translation of Ivan Turgenevs novel The King Lear of the steppes, published in 1870, followed by a brief commentary on the influence of the English playwrighter William Shakespeare in Russian literature. Then there is a study of the literary skaz present in the novel and styling, a stylistic feature theorized by Mikhail Bakhtin and Yury Tynyanov. Like the parody, the styling is also a recreation of a consecrated work, but rather that it does not have comic effect, but agree with the text direction in which it was inspired. Finally, there is a note about the existence of elements of Russian folklore in the text and comments on the translation based on comparison with French, English and Portuguese versions.

Este trabalho é composto pela tradução anotada do texto original em inglês Fyodor Dostoevski (1821 1881), que faz parte das aulas de literatura russa que o autor russo Vladímir Nabókov ministrou em universidades americanas de 1941 a 1959, bem como por uma introdução biobibliográfica e crítica sobre o autor, de um modo geral, e de um ensaio crítico sobre suas opiniões a respeito das principais obras de Fiódor Dostoiévski, em particular. Para tanto, serão comentadas as principais opiniões críticas de Nabókov sobre os romances Crime e Castigo, Memórias do Subsolo, O Idiota, Os Demônios e os Irmãos Karámazov de Dostoiévski à luz das concepções de Mikhail Bakhtin, Leonid Grossman, Joseph Frank, entre outros.
This research is composed of the annotated translation of the original text in English Fyodor Dostoevski (1821 - 1881), which is part of the lectures on Russian literature that the Russian author Vladimir Nabokov gave in American universities from 1941 to 1959, as well as by a biobibliographical and critical introduction about the author, in a general way, and a critical essay about his opinions concerning the major works of Fyodor Dostoevski, in particular. To accomplish this task, Nabokovs opinions about the novels Crime and Punishment, Memories from the Underground, The Possessed, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov have been studied in the light of Mikhail Bakhtin, Leonid Grossman, Joseph Frank, among others.

The present work analyses the fiction of the post-Soviet Russian writers, Vladimir Sorokin, Vladimir Tuchkov and Aleksandr Khurgin against the background of the notion of post-Soviet Russian postmodernism. In doing so, it investigates the usefulness and accuracy of this very notion, proposing that of ‘post-Soviet neo-modernism’ instead. Common critical approaches to post-Soviet Russian literature as being postmodern are questioned through an examination of the concept of postmodernism in its interrelated historical, social, and philosophical dimensions, and of its utility and adequacy in the Russian cultural context. In addition, it is proposed that the humorous and grotesque nature of certain post-Soviet works can be viewed as a creatively critical engagement with both the past, i.e. Soviet ideology, and the present, the socially tumultuous post-Soviet years. Russian modernism, while sharing typologically and literary-historically a number of key characteristics with Western modernism, was particularly motivated by a turning to the cultural repository of Russia’s past, and a metaphysical yearning for universal meaning transcending the perceived fragmentation of the tangible modern world. Continuing the older Russian tradition of resisting rationalism, and impressed by the sense of realist aesthetics failing the writer in the task of representing a world that eluded rational comprehension, modernists tended to subordinate artistic concerns to their esoteric convictions. Without appreciation of this spiritual dimension, semantic intention in Russian modernist fiction may escape a reader used to the conventions of realist fiction. It is suggested that contemporary Russian fiction as embodied in certain works by Sorokin, Tuchkov and Khurgin, while stylistically exhibiting a number of features commonly regarded as postmodern, such as parody, pastiche, playfulness, carnivalisation, the grotesque, intertextuality and self-consciousness, seems to resume modernism’s tendency to seek meaning and value for human existence in the transcendent realm, as well as in the cultural, in particular literary, treasures of the past. The closeness of such segments of post-Soviet fiction and modernism in this regard is, it is argued, ultimately contrary to the spirit of postmodernism and its relativistic and particularistic worldview. Hence the suggested conceptualisation of post-Soviet Russian fiction as ‘neo-modernist’.

The tradition of civic poetry occupies a unique place in the history of Russian literature. The civic poet (grazhdanskii poet) characteristically addresses socio-political issues and injustices relevant to the era in opposition to the established authority. This often comes out of a sense of responsibility to the nation. During the Thaw period (1953-63), an interval of relative artistic freedom that followed decades of severe artistic control, Y. Yevtushenko (1932- ) was among the first poets who dared to speak critically about the social and political injustices that occurred during Stalin’s dictatorship. At that time, his civic-oriented poetry focused primarily on the reassessment of historical, social, and political values in the post-Stalin era. The aim of the present study is to evaluate Yevtushenko’s position within the tradition of civic poets and to illustrate his stylistic ability to combine lyrical intimacy and autobiographic experiences with national and international issues in the genre of civic poetry. I approach the subject using a methodology of close examination: a formal and structural analysis of select poems in the original Russian. In addition, relevant social, political, and historical conditions are taken into account, as well as Mayakovsky’s influence on Yevtushenko’s poetry. This research offers a definition of the term “civic poet” and supplies a historical survey of civic poetry that dates back to the satires of the eighteenth century. I specifically refer to the Russian icons of this genre: G. Derzhavin, A. Pushkin, K. Ryleev, M. Lermontov, N. Nekrasov, and V. Mayakovsky. I start my evaluation of Yevtushenko as a civic poet by examining his narrative poem, Stantsiia Zima (1956), and proceed with a detailed analysis of his most important political poems of the Thaw period: “Babii Yar” (1961) and “Nasledniki Stalina” (Heirs of Stalin, 1962). In addition, I assess Yevtushenko’s political and cultural acts throughout his career. Finally, I further analyze select poems by Yevtushenko that were published from 1990 to 2005, to offer a new and more complete view of Yevtushenko’s place in the canon of Russian civic poets.

This diploma thesis is written on one of the least investigated and the least known areas of the Russian literature - contemporary Russian poetry. The aim of this thesis is to propose certain perception of, on one hand, the artistic patterns and contents, and, on the other hand, of the historical, cultural, social and aesthetic significance of the contemporary poetry. The key principles of the current poetic scene include the shift of the literary paradigm, aesthetic pluralism, and variety of the artistic styles. This work consists of three parts. The first chapter describes the theory of the forming of the post- Soviet literature, as well as its state after the second half of the 1980's until the present day, in the context of social, cultural and literary factors. The features and certain phenomena of the current literary process are also discussed within the first chapter. The second chapter examines the main aesthetic trends of the contemporary Russian poetry. The last part of the thesis provides the look upon the problematic and thematic characteristics as well as the stylistic features of the contemporary poetry. The research is based on the analysis of the works of some of the most outstanding contemporary Russian poets, which were included in the representative sample of this thesis: A....

1 online resource (181 leaves)
This study relies on ecocriticism as the discipline benefitting the analysis of the imagery of nature in Konstantin Paustovsky’s prose. The objective of this approach is to demonstrate that Paustovsky’s prose goes beyond of what was expected from a Soviet writer by the socialist realist dogma. This thesis attempts to prove that an ecocritical approach validates his prose as being universal in its message and thus relevant to contemporary readers. Scholars of ecocriticism ask the following questions when analysing a nature-orientated prose: what values are expressed in nature-orientated literature, does the portrayal of nature reflects the cultural values of a nation as well as the way in which a person’s interaction with his natural environment enhances or hampers his spiritual development. The timeframe, within which Paustovsky wrote his prose, should be taken into account, because it coincides with the Lenin and Stalin regimes, when any criticism of the government including its nature conservation policies was impossible. The analysis of attitudes of the Russian people towards nature in Paustovksy’prose demonstrates that it evolved from the acceptance of the official stand to the one of criticism. This research resulted in the following conclusions: Firstly Paustovsky’s view with regard to ecological problems and his solutions to these problems are on par with those of modern ecologists. The writer, for example, proposes a holistic way to undertake nature conservation, such as replacing ruined forests by the same type of trees, not interfering in the cycles of nature and stresses the importance of scientific information on how to care of the natural environment. Secondly, it is through his presentation of nature that the author familiarises the reader with the essence of the Russian culture, which is totally intertwined with the manifestations of Russian nature, such as folklore, superstitions, cultural traditions and values attached to certain animals and trees Thirdly, it has been established that the ‘external’ natural landscape of a person namely his environment, undoubtedly influences his ‘internal landscape’, his psyche. This implies that the natural environment of a person will have an influence on his psychological make-up. It is assumed that this study, in particular the use of ecocriticism as a tool to analyse literature where nature plays a role, will shed new light on the role of nature in Russian prose. This is especially the case with regard to the way in which ecological issues such as nature conservation are treated.
Classics & World Languages
D. Litt. et Phil. (Russian)

Boris Akunin’s historical detective novels have sold more than eight million copies in Russia, and have been translated into nearly a dozen languages. Boris Akunin is the pen name of literary critic and translator Grigory Chkhartishvili. Born in 1956 in the republic of Georgia, he published his first detective stories in 1998. His first series of novels, beginning with Azazel’ and followed by Turetskii gambit, feature a dashing young police inspector, Erast Fandorin. Fandorin’s adventures take place in the Russian Empire of the late nineteenth century, and he regularly finds himself at the center of key historic events. The first book takes place over one summer, May to September 1876, as the intrepid Fandorin, on his first case, unveils an international organization of conspirators—Azazel’—bent on changing the course of world events. The second takes place two years later from July 1877 to March 1878 during Russia’s war with the Ottoman Empire. The young detective again clashes with Azazel’, as he unravels a Turkish agent’s intricate plan to weaken and destroy the Russian state. Both adventures have proven wildly popular and entertaining, while maintaining a certain literary value. The exploration of time and space in Russian literature was once a popular subject of discourse, but since the 1970s it has been somewhat ignored, rarely applied to contemporary works, and even less to works of popular culture. Akunin’s treatment of time and space, however, especially given the historical setting of his works, is unique. Azazel’, for example, maintains a lightning pace with a tight chronology and a rapidly changing series of locales. Turetskii gambit presents a more laconic pace, and, though set in the vast Caucasus region, seems more claustrophobic as it methodically works towards its conclusion. Both works employ a seemingly impersonal narrator, who, nonetheless, speaks in a distinctly 19th century tone, and both works cast their adventures within the framework of actual historical events and locations. This thesis analyzes core theories in literary time and space, applying them then to Akunin’s historical detective literature.

Hierdie studie ondersoek vrae rondom die aard van literêre niefiksie - ook die vierde genre genoem. Die bestaande drieledige genreklassifikasiesisteem maak nie voldoende voorsiening vir tekste waarin die grense tussen feit en fiksie opgehef word nie. Die toename van sodanige hibriede tekste noodsaak dus ‘n uitbreiding van tradisionele genrekategorieë tot ‘n vierde, naamlik dié van literêre niefiksie. Dié ondersoek poog om vrae rondom literêre niefiksie te beantwoord met verwysing na De plaag: het stille knagen van schrijvers, termieten en Zuid-Afrika (2001) van David van Reybrouck. Dié teks dokumenteer Van Reybrouck se ondersoek na die bewering dat Maurice Maeterlinck die termietnavorsing van Eugène Marais sonder erkenning oorgeneem het. Tydens sy navorsingsreis maak Van Reybrouck kennis met die verwikkeldhede van ‘n postapartheid Suid-Afrika en verwoord sy reiservaring met behulp van metafore uit die entomologie. Die resultaat is dat De plaag ‘n hibriede karakter vertoon wat versoenbaar is met die kriteria vir literêr-niefiksionele tekste.
This study attempts to explore the nature of literary nonfiction (the fourth genre). The existing tripartite classification system does not make adequate provision for texts where the borders between nonfiction and fiction are transcended. A marked increase in such texts therefore necessitates an expansion of the traditional genre categories to accommodate a fourth, namely that of literary nonfiction. De plaag: het stille knagen van schrijvers, termieten en Zuid-Afrika (2001) by David van Reybrouck will serve as point of departure to explore the genre of literary nonfiction. The said text documents Van Reybrouck’s investigation into the alleged plagiarism by Maeterlinck of Marais’ research on termites. Van Reybrouck’s travels expose him to the complexities of a post-apartheid South Africa, which he expresses by using metaphors derived from the field of entomology. The result of this process is that De plaag displays a hybrid character which complies with the criteria for literary nonfiction.
Afrikaans and Theory of Literature
M.A. (Afrikaans)