The importance of literary criticism in any era can hardly be overestimated. It is these experts who not only make their own verdict on this or that work, but also form public opinion and set the tone for cultural trends.
How literary critics came to be
Literary criticism arose simultaneously with literature itself, since the processes of creating a work of art and its professional assessment are closely interrelated. For centuries, literary critics have belonged to the cultural elite, as they must have had an exceptional education, serious analytical skills and impressive experience.
Despite the fact that literary criticism appeared in antiquity, it took shape as an independent profession only in the 15-16 centuries. Then the critic was considered an impartial "judge" who had to consider the literary value of the work, its compliance with genre canons, the verbal and dramatic skill of the author. However, literary criticism gradually began to reach a new level, since literary criticism itself developed at a rapid pace and was closely intertwined with other sciences of the humanitarian cycle.
In the 18-19th century, literary critics were, without exaggeration, “arbiters of destinies”, since the career of one or another writer often depended on their opinion. If today public opinion is formed in somewhat different ways, then in those days it was criticism that had a primary impact on the cultural environment.
The Tasks of the Literary Critic
It was possible to become a literary critic only by understanding the literature as deeply as possible. Nowadays, a journalist or even an author who is far from philology can write a review of a work of art. However, during the heyday of literary criticism, this function could only be performed by a literary scholar who was no less well versed in philosophy, political science, sociology, and history. The critic's minimum tasks were as follows:
- Interpretation and literary analysis of a work of art;
- The author's assessment from a social, political and historical point of view;
- Revealing the deep meaning of the book, determining its place in world literature by comparing it with other works.
The professional critic invariably influences society by broadcasting his own beliefs. That is why professional reviews are often distinguished by irony and harsh presentation of the material.
The most famous literary critics
In the West, the strongest literary critics were initially philosophers, among whom were G. Lessing, D. Diderot, G. Heine. Often, eminent contemporary writers, such as V. Hugo and E. Zola, also gave reviews to new and popular authors.
In North America, literary criticism as a separate cultural sphere - for historical reasons - emerged much later, so it flourished already at the beginning of the 20th century. During this period, V. V. Brooks and W. L. Parrington: It was they who had the strongest influence on the development of American literature.
The golden age of Russian literature was famous for its strongest critics, the most influential of whom are:
- DI. Pisarev,
- N. G. Chernyshevsky,
- ON THE. Dobrolyubov
- A. V. Druzhinin,
- V. G. Belinsky.
Their works are still included in the school and university curriculum, along with the masterpieces of literature themselves, to which these reviews were devoted.
For example, Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky, who could not finish either high school or university, became one of the most influential figures in literary criticism of the 19th century. He wrote hundreds of reviews and dozens of monographs on the works of the most famous Russian authors from Pushkin and Lermontov to Derzhavin and Maikov. In his works, Belinsky not only considered the artistic value of the work, but also determined its place in the socio-cultural paradigm of that era. The position of the legendary critic was sometimes very tough, destroyed stereotypes, but his authority is still at a high level.
Development of literary criticism in Russia
Perhaps the most interesting situation with literary criticism developed in Russia after 1917. Never before has any industry been politicized, as in this era, and literature was no exception. Writers and critics have become an instrument of power that has a powerful impact on society. We can say that criticism no longer served lofty goals, but only solved the tasks of the authorities:
- hard screening of authors who did not fit into the country's political paradigm;
- the formation of a "perverted" perception of literature;
- promotion of a galaxy of authors who created "correct" samples of Soviet literature;
- maintaining the patriotism of the people.
Alas, from a cultural point of view, it was a "black" period in national literature, since any dissent was severely persecuted, and truly talented authors had no chance to create. That is why it is not at all surprising that the representatives of the authorities, including D. I. Bukharin, L. N. Trotsky, V. I. Lenin. Politicians had their own opinions about the most famous works of literature. Their critical articles were published in huge editions and were considered not only the primary source, but also the ultimate authority in literary criticism.
Over the course of several decades of Soviet history, the profession of literary criticism has become almost meaningless, and its representatives are still very few due to mass repressions and executions.
In such "painful" conditions, the emergence of opposition-minded writers was inevitable, who at the same time acted as critics. Of course, their work was classified as prohibited, so many authors (E. Zamyatin, M. Bulgakov) were forced to work in immigration. However, it is their works that reflect the real picture in the literature of that time.
A new era in literary criticism began during the Khrushchev Thaw. The gradual debunking of the personality cult and the relative return to freedom of expression of thought revived Russian literature.
Of course, the restrictions and politicization of literature did not disappear anywhere, however, articles by A. Kron, I. Ehrenburg, V. Kaverin and many others began to appear in philological periodicals, who were not afraid to express their opinions and turned the minds of readers.
A real surge of literary criticism occurred only in the early nineties. Huge upheavals for the people were accompanied by an impressive pool of "free" authors, who could finally be read without threatening their lives. The works of V. Astafiev, V. Vysotsky, A. Solzhenitsyn, Ch. Aitmatov and dozens of other talented masters of words were vigorously discussed both in the professional environment and by ordinary readers. One-sided criticism was replaced by controversy, when everyone could express their opinion on the book.
Today, literary criticism is a highly specialized field. A professional assessment of literature is in demand only in scientific circles, and is really interesting for a small circle of literary connoisseurs. Public opinion about a particular writer is formed by a whole range of marketing and social tools that are not related to professional criticism. And this state of affairs is just one of the essential attributes of our time.
