Dostoevsky’s Books in 20th-Century American Literature (Nathanael West, John Irving, Philip Roth)

Abstract

The article examines the presence of Dostoevsky’s books in the plot of the novels by Nathanael West, John Irving, and Philip Roth, in order to show how Dostoevsky was perceived by American writers and determined the specifics of the poetics and the transformation of constant motifs and images in modern American literature. It is proved that the use of Dostoevsky’s books as a stable motif introduces into these works an obligatory element of literary polemics for both the hero and the author. The main technique used by writers (parodying themes and images of Dostoevsky’s works) becomes the main way to rethink the existing tradition of perceiving the work of the Russian novelist.

Keywords

• fyodor dostoevsky
• reception
• nathanael west
• john irving
• philip roth
• motive
• book