Dispute over M. P. Artsybashev’s play Jealousy in Saratov community

Abstract

Based on the material published in newspapers Saratovskiy Listok (Saratov Leaflet) and Saratovskiy Vestnik (Saratov Herald) the article analyzes the dispute in Saratov community over a provocative drama about a “wife killer” Jealousy – the first play written by a fashionable and scandalous author, M. P. Artsybashev. The reasons for the popularity of the play’s simplified interpretation of F. Nietzsche’s ideas that influenced the development of gender issues and shaped the shocking libertine image of a “new” female predator in public consciousness are revealed. The article observes 12 invariably full-house performances that were staged in November and December of 1913 in the City Theatre of Saratov. Much attention is paid to the dispute held by Saratov intellectuals on the topic of “women and jealousy” and to a mock public trial that had caused a wide publicity; in the course of this trial the husband who had murdered his wife was acquitted and the wife who had flirted openly with other men was found guilty of “reprehensible conduct”. The speech of the only female speaker taking part in the dispute – a teacher of Saratov refresher courses for women by A. I. Lelkova – stands out. The reaction of Saratov press to the lectures of Moscow speakers (About Women’s Freedom and Men’s Slavery by N. Ya. Abramovich and The Woman Judged by Modern Literature by S. Glagol’) is described. Parodies on Jealousy published in the newspapers of Saratov and therefore indicating the popularity of Artsybashev’s play are also discussed. The study concludes that the reviewers of Saratov newspapers were trying to explain the popularity of Jealousy both in terms of its artistic value (in comparison with L. N. Tolstoy’s The Kreutzer Sonata and L. N. Andreyev’s dramas) and from the perspective of social issues reflected in the play (women’s rights and social status in the family and society, abusive relationships, domestic violence). The reviewers of Saratovskiy Listok gave overall favorable and sometimes rapturous responses to Jealousy, while Saratovskiy Vestnik printed in general negative, sarcastic reviews.

Keywords

• artsybashev
• jealousy
• saratov
• saratovskiy listok
• saratovskiy vestnik
• gender studies
• silver age