Pitannâ Lìteraturoznavstva (Dec 2013)
From Liberty to Freedom the Way of the Russian Literary Character in the Novels of the XIX Century
Abstract
This research examines the functioning of universal “freedom” in Russian novels from the mid. XIX century. The author starts with reviewing the concept FREEDOM in the poetry of A. S. Pushkin. But her central intention is to examine this issue in the novels of the prominent Russian writers I. A. Honcharov and I. S. Turgenev. Alongside freedom the author discusses its opposite meaning “dependence” and compares two very different heroes Bazarov and Oblomov. The main viewpoint is that freedom determines in heroes the ability to be themselves while achieving personal unity in its different modi. Thus the hero of the novel “Oblomov” is characterized by inner dependence. Oblomov’s way of life and values show that he is in search of his own “liberty” as an opportunity to live his life without any responsibilities for his family and country. Another type of the hero is shown in the image of Bazarov (the novel “Fathers and Sons” by I. S. Turgenev). This hero in his aspiration to be free rejects any kind of dependence earning the honor of a nihilist. Russian literature during the XIX century opens new horizons in understanding man by using the concept of freedom, primarily liberty.
