The life and works of Alexander Ivanovich Ertel (1855-1908) : whither Russia?

• Main Author: Griffin, Steven Richard
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/6097

Three principal aspects of A.I. Ertel's (1855-1908) art are considered in this reassessment of his life and works. The first is his religious ethnography, whereby he represents the felt quality of the religious revival of his time in all its diversity. The second aspect is the dialogue which his works form with the question of national destiny. The third is the spiritual autobiography which his oeuvre represents. Accordingly, the approach taken in this study is, from one perspective, historical and biographical, while from another it will make use of M. Bakhtin's notion of "polyphonic artistic thinking" in analyzing Ertel's works. It is the third aspect of Ertel' s art which gives this thesis its structure. In Part I, "Confrontation," representative early works are considered within the context of three philosophical confrontations: first, with the notion that the meaning of life is self-evident; second, with philosophical pessimism; and third, with Tolstoyism. Part Two is devoted to two novels which reflect Ertel's philosophy of "Compromise." These works present a hopeful view of both individual and corporate moral development in spite of diversity and sweeping social change. Part Three, "Counter Idea," examines two works which reflect the author's ultimate dissatisfaction with "all-embracing theories" in these works Ertel confronts the reader with reasons for hope and despair with regard to progress and the destiny of Russia. The Conclusion attempts to re-establish Ertel's place in Russian literature, giving consideration to the relevance of his works for today and to his particular narrative style.