Прототип судит автора (случай из болгарской социалистической культуры)

Abstract

In 1956 the novel “Will” was published in Bulgaria, written by Mitko Gorchivkin. It was modelled on Soviet novels such as those written by N. Ostrovski and B. Polevoy – the main character of the Bulgarian novel had a real prototype – a boy who had lost his legs during the bombings in Sofia and by the strength of his will was able to learn to write and draw.The conformity with the doctrine of socialist realism – depiction of “truth of life” and, accordingly, the creation of characters to serve as models, guarantees the success. But, ironically, the principle of authenticity played a nasty trick on the author: several years after the publication the author was sued and had to give a part of his fee to his prototype.This is an example of the unexpected effect of: 1) the relationship between life and literature in socialist realism and 2) the contradiction between propaganda “idealism” motivating the wish for glorification (the man himself looks for an author to depict his life) and material interest.