Vol 28, No 3 (2023): Chekhov’s Time and Chekhov in Time
- Year: 2023
- Articles: 22
- URL: https://journals.rudn.ru/literary-criticism/issue/view/1707
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-9220-2023-28-3
Full Issue
LITERARY CRITICISM
421-426
The imaginary doctor and his speech mask in the works of A.P. Chekhov and in Russian humorous literature at the end of the 19th century
Abstract
The proposed study delves into the depiction of an imaginary doctor in mass humor during the late 19th century and in Chekhov’s early work. Its aim is to provide an explanation for Chekhov’s innovative humor, which stands out in comparison to that of his contemporaries. The work’s scientific novelty lies in the clarification of the concept of “speech mask in literature”. This refers to a hybrid of two languages, one inherent to the hero and the other appropriated from someone else, presented in a dialogic manner. Chekhov’s contemporaries such as Leikin, Amfiteatrov, and Shcheglov created simplistic comic scenarios in their works. The intentions of these authors were aimed solely at entertaining and distracting readers from their daily worries. Chekhov takes a complex stance on mass humor. On one hand, he must adhere to its demands in order to publish his stories in magazines. On the other hand, he subverts existing conventions by complicating his heroes’ speech characteristics through a speech mask. Chekhov not only entertains his readers, but also provides depictions of provincial customs and various social types. The image of the doctor in Chekhov’s mature works is ambivalent and only indirectly related to the imaginary doctor from his humorous pieces.
427-436
Anna Karenina’s hypertexts in Chekhov’s works
Abstract
The author begins by referencing to his previous demonstration of the hypertextual polemicalness shown by him earlier in relation to Leo Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina”, as well as Chekhov’s stories “The Duel” and the “The Grasshopper”. Similar phenomena is identified in Chekhov’s stories “His Wife”, “Concerning Love” and “The Lady with the Dog”. Additionally, the author perceives a sarcastic crypto-parody of Tolstoy’s novel, in the first of these stories, while in the second and third - Chekhov’s own variations on this plot, played out in the perspective of a lover. Chekhov conducts an artistic experiment in the story “Concerning Love” exploring what would have occurred to the characters in “Anna Karenina” had Alyokhin possessed more similarities to Tolstoy’s Levin than to Vronsky. In the “The Lady with the Dog”, Chekhov outlines the possibility of the lovers overcoming the numerous obstacles that have arisen before them and achieve happiness. It is demonstrated that in writing this story, Chekhov relied heavily on the aesthetics of the “transformation of a person”, present in all Russian classics, from Pushkin to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy (however, the author notes that Chekhov drew from Konstantine Levin’s storyline in Tolstoy’s work, rather than that of Anna Karenina).
437-450
Anton Chekhov’s “The Philistines” in terms of literature studies
Abstract
The goal of the study is to clarify the chronological framework of the so called Sakhalin period of Chekhov’s biography. The analysis of the creation of “The Teacher of Literature” is conducted to achieve it. The fate of the story “The Teacher of Literature” appears to be somewhat confused: the writer adds together “The Philistines” (“Novoe Vremja”, November 28, 1889) and “The Teacher of Literature” (“Russkie Vedomosti”, July 10, 1894). Chekhov used to avoid reiteration in his publications; thus, he dismissed the first title, and the story first appeared in the collection “Novellas and Stories” (the beginning of December, 1894) under the title “The Teacher of Literature”. As if following the writer’s will “The Philistines” was not included into volume 7 of the Completed Works of Chekhov (1974-1982) thus creating the gap effect. Having rejected the dramatic ending of “The Philistines”, Chekhov seemed to have restored it later when writing “The Teacher of Literature”, which originally constituted the second chapter of the modern story. Taking into consideration the ending of “The Philistines” postponed for five years, the story itself can be regarded as a fact of the writer’s biography against the background of the epistolary evidence and can reveal the writer’s mood before his trip to Sakhalin Island. Thus, the speculations over the story’s ideas can be related to the issue concerning the genre of the book “Sakhalin Island”.
451-461
Features of the parable in the structure of A.P. Chekhov’s “A Story Without a Title”
Abstract
The study deals with the composition of “A Story Without a Title” by A. Chekhov in the aspect of its genre affiliation. The methodological apparatus of narratology is involved in the analysis of the text structure, which makes it possible to describe the implementation of the parable plot model in Chekhov's story. Of all Chekhov's stories, “A Story Without a Title” most consistently reproduces the genre features of the parable. The characters are referred to with common nouns, the plot is schematic, not overloaded with events and details. It is based on the antithesis of two worlds: a monastery and a city. However, behind the outwardly simple text of the story there is a system of narrative entities, where each narrator differs in point of view in terms of space, time and ideology, the events they cover. At the same time, the point of view of the author-narrator remains spatially static. The world of the city, external to the characters, is described by two diegetic narrators, so that the burden of value judgments is removed from the author. Thus, the composition structure of the text causes direct edification avoidance. At the same time, the rejection of the authoritarian narration type makes it possible to introduce into the story the theme of art, also built on the opposition of descriptions of the same world by two different characters.
462-470
Anton P. Chekhov and Mikhail A. Bulgakov: Chekhov’s trace in “The Master and Margarita”
Abstract
The research examines the presence of A.P. Chekhov’s works in M.A. Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita”. It is established that Bulgakov drew inspiration from Chekhov’s principles, particularly those outlined in Chekhov’s “Autobiography”, when depicting medical events in his novel. This is evident, for example, in the poisoning episode involving the main characters. It is demonstrated that Chekhov’s story “The Black Monk” greatly influenced the creation of the main and supporting characters in “The Master and Margaruta”, additionally the climactic Great Ball at Satan’s. Both Chekhov’s story and Bulgakov’s novel offer rational explanations to the characters’ mental disorders; however, these explanations are not exhaustive, allowing room for the mystical elements in the plots.
471-481
Medicine as a profession in the writer’s self-determination: the example of A.P. Chekhov (1860-1904) and J. Rizal (1891-1896)
Abstract
The attitude of A.P. Chekhov, physician and writer, and of his contemporary Filipino colleague J. Rizal was compared, in order to find out how their artistic creativity is linked to their profession as doctors. Both writers demonstrate a high appreciation for progress in their works. Chekhov emphasizes the importance of hygiene and education, while Rizal believes that education is crucial. In his works, Chekhov often depicts the consequences of ignorance, negligence towards one’s health, and lack of hygiene. In particular, in the story “Peasants” he describes how poverty leads to drunkenness, filth, and ignorance. However, he is not willing to directly connect social and political statements with his art. Additionally, after his voyage to Skhalin, he firmly refuses to pass judgement on his characters, even if they are portrayed as dirty and ignorant. Nonetheless, in his social activism he cares for the sick, especially victims of epidemies, and establishes rural schools. Rizal became an ophthalmologist to cure his mother, who went blind after unjustly being imprisoned; similarly, he became a writer to heal the “social cancer” of his country - ignorance. Yet, he encounters the problem that Spanish authorities prohibit education for the people. So, even up to his exile and death, he has to confront the dilemma of which should take precedence, education or liberation. Therefore, for Chekhov, being a doctor, addressing social issues, and writing are separate spheres, while Rizal became a writer primarily to heal his country’s society. Nevertheless, both writers, in their short lives, combined medicine, creativity, and progressive social activism, thus embodying what Yu.M. Lotman calls “lifebuilding”.
482-489
The epistemological aspect of conceptual sphere in the artistic world of A.P. Chekhov
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to explore the gnoseological aspect of Anton Chekhov’s art world conceptual sphere, specifically the disconnect between reality and human perception. The research is grounded in theoretical works on the gnoseological nature of creativity and scientific works on Chekhov’s artistic philosophy. The literary analysis focuses on Chekhov’s works from the 1880s to 1890s. It is stated that Chekhov’s conceptosphere of fiction delves into the existential experiences of individuals, which can either reinforce or erode their belief in positive change of their destinies. The authors demonstrate that Chekhov skillfully portrays the scholastic consciousness imposed on individuals by society, as well as the consequences of erroneous consciousness resulting from dramatic circumstances and leading to fatal tragic consequences. Chekhov’s prose avoids excessive melodrama while maintaining an engaging narrative structure and style. It is revealed that the conceptosphere of Chekhov’s art world doesn’t contain the image of ideal hero, but is based on the position of gnoseological optimism, which lies in the fact that the world can still be cognized, and the discovery of its laws is an infinite trajectory of human knowledge.
490-497
Exploring the intersection of Anton Chekhov and Haruki Murakami: a slow reading analysis of “Drive My Car”
Abstract
The study aims to employ the method of slow reading to analyze the short story authored by Haruki Murakami. Intertextuality is the predominant feature of the narrative, the references to the Beatles’ song and Ernest Hemingway’s collection of stories add to the subtext of the story. However, it is the allusion to Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” in the Meiji-era adaptation (translated by Senuma Kayō) that stands out among others as the basis for deeper understanding of the story’s nuances. The characters in the 2014 story encounter similar challenges as those in Chekhov’s 1890s play, where the inability to comprehend others raises a crucial question of how to continue living and for what purpose. Misaki’s articulation of the answer echoes Sonya’s words from “Uncle Vanya”, emphasizing the necessity of enduring difficulties and persevering in one’s trained and most proficient area. The literary work “Drive My Car” epitomizes the characteristic style of Haruki Murakami, as evidenced by his fondness for music and incorporation of songs and musical elements, his propensity for employing allusions, quotations, and other forms of intertextuality. The story is similar to Chekhov’s play in the melancholic tone of the narration, lack of action, loose plot structure, a metaphorical employment of mundane life events, the choice of words the text is made of. Chekhov and Murakami stand together in their refusal to judge or blame their characters, in their acceptance of life in all of its most complicated manifestations.
498-508
100th anniversary of Anton Chekhov’s death in Barcelona
Abstract
The interest towards Anton Chekhov’s theatre entered a new phase in the end of the seventies of the 20th century in Barcelona. A quarter of century after Franco’s death the translations of Chekhov’s plays into Catalan and representations thereof recorded a new growth: translators and artists were trying to fill the gap resulting from the cultural crisis suffered under the dictatorship by introducing into the national cultural system some of the most recognized authors of the world, already considered classics in the western neighbour countries (France, Great Britain, Germany). The 100th anniversary of Chekhov’s death offered a perfect occasion to pay tribute to the Russian author’s memory. The present research sums up the principal events dedicated to the centenary of Chekhov’s death in 2004 in Barcelona and focuses on the staging of “Uncle Vanya” by Joan Ollé, one of the most memorable interpretations of this play in Catalonia, in order to evaluate the reception thereof through the analysis of periodical issues. Based on Hans-Robert Jauss’s approach to the literature as a constant interaction between the work of art, the public and the author, the study sheds light on the reception of Chekhov’s theatre in Catalonia and its evolution from the first direct translation of the play until a key staging which, in turn, became a reference for the following generations. The analysis concludes that the centenary of Chekhov’s death may be considered an inflection point in the history of his reception in Catalonia. Thanks to the production of the first canonical staging of “Uncle Vanya” in Catalan, Chekhov’s name stopped being associated exclusively with popular performances produced by foreign companies.
509-518
A.P. Chekhov: Selected stories (1905): the first collection of Anton Chekhov's novellas and stories in Croatian
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to analyze the reception of the first collection of stories and short stories by A.P. Chekhov, translated into Croatian and published in 1905. The preface of this edition, written by journalist and translator Martin Lovrenčević, holds particular importance. In his endeavor to provide a more detailed biography of the Russian writer, Lovrenčević compiles scattered information that had been regularly published in essays and articles by well-known and anonymous critics in Russian and Croatian periodicals between 1886 and 1904. Lovrenčević also relies on data published in the Russian press in 1904-1905, recollections of Chekhov's friends and relatives, and introduces Croatian readers to previously unknown facts of his personal life. The analysis showed that the biography compiled by Lovrenčević, along with his translations of novellas and stories featured in the collection, as well as his consideration of Anton Chekhov's prose and drama, represents a continuation of the efforts made by the first creative intermediaries, who since the mid-1880s introduced Croatian readers to the Russian writer and his works.
519-529
Restoration of time: Henry Bergson and Vladimir Nabokov
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to interpret the idea of “restoring time”, common to the texts of the Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov and the French intuitionist philosopher Henri Bergson. The concept of “restoration of time” in Vladimir Nabokov’s texts, viewing it through the lens of Henri Bergson’s philosophy is explored. According to Nabokov “time is essentially memory in the process of its unfolding”. Moreover, that memory itself is a dynamic and never-changing process. Therefore, the conventional notion that restoring the past is simply about retrieving previous “moments” does not hold true in Nabokov’s approach. As a result of studying the phenomenon, it is concluded that in Nabokov’s system the restoration of time (the past) should become the restoration of the very movement of our memories, constantly “flowing” to the present. The reconstruction of time (the past) should focus on capturing the very movement of our memories, which continuously flow from the past to the present. Bergson referred to this movement as the basis of “pure memory” phenomenon, understood as the constant pressure of memories on the present and as the essence of “duration”: genuine inner time, that cannot be divided into moments, but rather is an uninterrupted ever-growing stream of our impressions. Thus, the Bergson’s philosophy effectively addresses numerous Nabokovian issues, both peripheral and central.
530-539
JOURNALISM
The cumulative effect of economic news in the media: patterns of faith and disappointment
Abstract
On the example of three thematic layers, the specifics of the presentation of economic ideas in media publications and the transformation of the approach to these ideas over time are considered. The author refers to the ideas of modernization, import substitution and business support during the coronavirus pandemic and sanctions restrictions, arguing that the information context of these information layers can be described through patterns of faith and disappointment. By the methods of content analysis and sentiment analysis it is fixed that there is a final and cyclical scenario for the coverage of economic ideas in periodicals. In the first case, the cumulative information effect ends with the media's disappointment in the broadcasted idea and its exclusion from the news agenda. The author notes that the cumulative resonances responsible for the transmission of economic ideas accumulate a negative context, although initially they may be oriented towards the presentation of positive news. Their exhaustibility in the media can be associated with the obsolescence of the newsbreak that gave rise to them, and with the formation of a pattern of disappointment in the relevant texts. It is concluded that the cumulative resonances in the media, exploiting the pattern of faith, can form explanatory models in journalistic texts, which are based on economic stereotypes.
540-552
Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemics
Abstract
The publication activities of the French media during the COVID-19 pandemic in a biopolitical way are analyzed. The theoretical frame of the study is set by Michel Foucault's concept of biopolitics, as well as the propaganda model of Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky. To collect and analyze empirical data, the methods of computational linguistics and the method of identifying contextual ideologemes were applied. The research materials were the texts of independent media (Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Parisien), identified using the keywords “pandemic” and “COVID-19” during the four waves of the pandemic (from January 2020 to March 2022). A total of 29,584 Le Figaro articles, 22,446 Le Monde articles, and 6,402 Le Parisien articles were used in the research. The purpose of the research is to analyze the strategies for including the French media in the biopolitical practices of propaganda and public education on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the research, it turned out that the studied media during the pandemic were integrated both into general information campaigns and into biopolitical education and propaganda campaigns. Two scenarios for organizing media discourse during the pandemic of COVID-19 were identified, determined by target groups and media tasks. The first scenario actively involves educational and propaganda tools to promote state biopolitical goals. The second scenario integrates informing readers about the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures used by the authorities for biopolitical control, with the presentation of the hierarchies of responsible persons/ institutions (within the state biopolitics). It is concluded that the participation of French independent media in the active promotion of biopolitical programs indicates their close connection with the actors and subjects of biopolitics - the state or business representatives.
553-565
Coverage of the One Belt, One Road Initiative by Russia Today TV channel as a way of understanding Russian-Chinese relations
Abstract
The authors conduct a comparative analysis of how Russia Today (RT) report on China's One Belt and Road Initiative (OBOR). Focused on the question of how this state-owned media reflect the bilateral relations between Russia and China, the study reveals that RT serve as mirrors of their governments' attitudes towards China's geopolitical strategy. While only English language coverage by RT is considered, this focus offers a unique insight into Russia's portrayal of the OBOR. The work fills a significant gap in understanding this dynamic and offers new insights through a blended methodological approach. Utilizing quantitative content analysis and qualitative thematic analysis, this pioneering research evaluates the coverage of OBOR by RT (2013-2022), uncovering a previously unexplored interplay between state-owned media narratives and governmental geopolitical relations. It provides a novel perspective on understanding the complex relations between China and Russia through the lens of media reporting. It underscores the role of state-owned media as a tool to shape perceptions and inform the narrative surrounding global initiatives such as OBOR. The study's findings offer insights into the broader discourse around OBOR and its global implications, contributing to the scholarship on international relations, media studies, and Chinese foreign policy.
566-573
Micro movie from cinemas to online video platforms: terminology issues
Abstract
A comprehensive study of the phenomenon of microcinema is presented. The tasks of semantic analysis of the concept of “microcinema” are set and solved, its characteristic features are discovered and, on the basis of the results obtained, an actual definition of the term is proposed for the first time; it is revealed on which screens the ultra-short meter exists today. The hypothesis that ultrashort films as a phenomenon cannot be fully considered as a product of the digital era is substantiated, this form inherits classical cinema, although it’s presented to the audience at other, modern venues. This problem is considered in view of the widespread interpretation of the term “microcinema” as a format that arose in the 21st century in the network space. As the main difference from various kinds of ultra-short audio-visual content posted online, the focus of micro movie on the coverage of philosophical, life problems, the search for new meanings, the demonstration of the author's views on existential issues is indicated. As a result of studying the filmography of reputable international film festivals, this assumption is confirmed. The boundaries of the timing of ultrashort films are revealed, for which the requirements put forward by specialized microcinema festivals to authors are investigated.
574-584
Creative industries: visualization of communications and aestheticization of media forms
Abstract
The improvement of innovative technologies has a direct impact on the social space and media market, forcing media producers to update and increase their competences and skills in line with the requirements of the digital age. This is due to the emergence of new professions in media content production, as well as to the recognition of the growing creative and economic potential of creative industries. The aim of the research is to show the relationship between the media industry and the creative industries in the context of their humanitarian contribution to the development of the digital future. The method of selective reading and commenting on sources from different sciences - philosophy, psychology, culturology, semiotics, art history, media communication studies - is used. It is revealed that the introduction of IT-technologies in media production and the adaptation of media in the digital economy make it necessary to revise approaches to the study of humanities and develop a theory of media taking into account the application of interdisciplinary knowledge. It is also concluded that visualisation through the actualisation of imagination is important. In the information environment, the need for visualisation of communications and aestheticisation of modern media forms related to the cultural and historical horizon of the digital age is now prevailing. These aspects are also substantiated, emphasising the importance of the role of creative industries in the digital future, their economic and humanitarian components, which allow society to be imbued with the axiological paradigm of the new reality.
585-594
595-597
Media image of the environmentally vulnerable territory: eye-tracking analysis of the impact of the environmental media agenda on youth audiences
Abstract
Issues of the environmental media agenda are acute in the media space and particularly relevant for the image of environmentally vulnerable territories. The impact of the environmental agenda on youth audiences of these territories is poorly studied, which actualizes the research topic. The purpose of the work is to study the impact of the environmental agenda on the image of the environmentally vulnerable region and youth audiences using eye-tracking technologies aimed at measuring the audience’s unconscious reactions. It is the first time when the topic is studied theoretically and empirically from the standpoint of a cognitive approach and the use of eye-tracking technologies aimed at analyzing the audience’s cognitive and affective reactions to the environmental agenda. It is established that messages of negative content, such as air pollution, waste management, and pollution of water bodies, predominate (74%) among the selected issues of the environmental agenda. These data are consistent with the results of eye-tracking studies, which show that the patterns of the audience attention are concentrated on these issues and a negative attitude is formed towards the territory image. The results obtained will make it possible to adjust the media ecovoice to neutralize conflictogenicity.
598-608
REVIEWS
609-618
BOOK REVIEWS
619-623
624-628