ACADEMIC RECEPTION OF THE NOVEL «HERO OF OUR TIME» BY M. Y. LERMONTOV IN THE USA: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
DOI: 10.23951/1609-624X-2021-3-146-154
Introduction. The article is devoted to the completely unexplored subject in Russian Lermontov studies – the academic reception of the novel “Hero of our time” by the scholars from the USA. In the article the most reputable and representative works published in the USA about this novel are outlined and analyzed in accordance with the following periodization: publications of 1900-1960s, publications of 1970-80s and the modern publications of 1900s until now. The goal. Research of the academic reception of the novel of M. Lermontov «Hero of our time” in the USA. Materials and methods. Search and analysis of the publications, devoted to the novel “Hero of our time” by M. Lermontov issued in the USA in accordance with the periodization proposed by the author. Results and discussion. The focus of publications 1900–1960s is primarily the understanding of how M.Yu. Lermontov portrayed the Russian society of the 1830s and the main character of his work, an emphasis on the psychological nature of the novel, as well as a comparison with A.S. Pushkin. Among the researchers there is no agreement on the genre of the novel - for example, Mercereau classifies it as a genre of psychological realism, and in the preface to the first Russian-language edition in the United States, the Byronic character of Pechorin is noted. In publications from the 1970s to 1980s, there is a completely different emphasis. First of all, the internal structure of the novel is in the focus. Despite the fact that there is still no full agreement on the genre of the novel, most researchers believe that the novel «A Hero of Our Time» that he put an end to romanticism in Russian prose, which is the main innovation of Lermontov. The view on the main character of the novel has also changed - in Pechorin they see not Byronic, but demonic features. At the present stage, American researchers have new topics in the study of the novel «Hero of our time”. For example, the topic of the relationship between the Russian and Caucasian peoples attracts a lot of attention. In addition, if earlier only Pechorin was in the center of attention of researchers, now other heroes and heroines of the novel are also being studied. It is also interesting that Pechorin is now considered a post-romantic hero, and most researchers classify the novel as post-romantic. Conclusion. The conducted analysis and the proposed periodization demonstrably illustrates the evolution of approaches and interest to the various aspects of the novel and its heroes. The bibliography of the article is impressive itself and makes a significant contribution to the Lermontov studies. The authors of the publications included in the review are philologists, publicists, political scientists, anthropologists.
Keywords: Lermontov, Hero of our time, novel, publication, Caucasus, prose, genre, Pechorin
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Issue: 3, 2021
Series of issue: Issue 3
Rubric: LITERARY STUDIES
Pages: 146 — 154
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