Polemici estetice și revizuirea literaturii române în perioada 1948–1953: ideologie, tipic și frumos la G. Călinescu

Abstract

In a context defined by intense aesthetic debates and efforts to revise the literary canon, Romanian literature during the early years of the communist regime (1948–1953) was deeply affected by the ideological constraints imposed by the new state policies. Within this framework, G. Călinescu, a prominent literary critic and theorist, became a focal point of analysis and reinterpretation in the cultural press of the time. Often coerced by external pres sures, Călinescu was drawn into polemics regarding his aesthetic ideas and his position as a literary critic inside the new literary canon. Initially rooted in relatively minor controversies, these debates escalated into direct attacks, targeting his perceived “anti-progressivism,” his understanding of “literary typification”, and his approach to the concept of “artistic beauty.” Key figures in the literary field of those years, such as Vicu Mîndra, Ion Bălănescu, Ion Mi­hăileanu, and Ion Vitner, through publications like „Flacăra” and „Contemporanul”, mounted significant critiques against him. These interventions highlight the complex interplay be­tween literary criticism and the cultural policies of the communist regime. The regime’s ideology, rooted in socialist realism, sought to challenge G. Călinescu’s approach to literary theory and aesthetics, which had previously been considered universally valid. His views, known for their analytical depth and unconventional perspectives on Romanian literature, were reinterpreted through an ideological lens. This process revealed elements considered subversive under the communist doctrine, alongside instances presented as scientifically flawed. Despite attempts to marginalize or even eliminate G. Călinescu as an authoritative voice in Romanian literary criticism, these efforts ultimately resulted not in his exclusion from the cultural discourse but rather in the reinterpretation and adaptation of his aesthetic principles. Călinescu strategically employed an “ideological veneer” to preserve the core of his aesthetic thought, a tactic that can be found and analyzed in his contributions to the Ro­manian periodicals of this moment.

Keywords

• romanian literature
• cultural periodicals
• literary revision
• literary polemics
• g. călinescu
• aesthetic paradigms
• ideological influences
• tipization
• beauty