History of Russia: Comparison of Two Authors - Book Report/Review Example

HISTORY OF RUSSIA: COMPARISON OF TWO History of Russia: Comparison of two In the Russian history, the “Fathers and sons” by Turgenev and “Inspector general” by Gogol, have outlined historical issues in Russia in a similar way. The two books have also been contrasted through the characters, themes and the historical allusions. In the novel “Fathers and sons,” shows the difference between these two generations of life. This book was written to counter the budding cultural schism in Russia from 1830s to 40s. During this time, there were cultural differences between the liberals and the growing nihilist uprising. However, in “Inspector general,” the author has focused on mistaken identity committed in the Russian society. These two books have common similarities and differences, which have been asserted through the mode of translation, the author’s concerns, the cultural and historical differences especially in history and literature. Therefore, this paper will focus on these books outlining both the differences and similarities to outline relationship with Russia’s history. Change is the main concern in the two books. In the ‘Fathers and sons’, Turgenev addresses the interest in change with the aim of addressing intergenerational differences in the Russian society. Life’s hyperbole and the balance between the text and the contemporary issues in society is the author’s main concern. In addition, his work is highly topical as it universally appeals the elegance of love. The author also deals with love versus psychology, which has been acutely portrait by the author. While on the other hand, the government inspector hinges on a mistaken identity. In the book, a lowly impoverished civil servant who comes from Petersburg is viewed as poor and comes from low social class. Hlestakov is mistaken for being a highly ranking government inspector by the provincial town members. The government fears the visit of the government inspector for the fear of their corruption cases that have torn the Russian society apart. Apart from the government official, the town’s governor is not at peace with the inspector’s visit. Hlestalkov gives the tales about his bribing ways as a high-ranking government official. He does this by elaborating on the misconception that the town people held before (Harrower 2011). The government inspector majorly ridicules the extent to which bureaucracy has affected Russia through the corruption. In this Russian drama about life, corruption, and human deception are vividly explored. The governor addresses the audience by asking what they were laughing at when he talks about corruption. He refers to the citizens as laughing at themselves showing how government official lacked respect to people. This is analyzed in the play’s epigraph, which asserts that one has to be blamed for cause of crooked face. On the other hand, in the fathers and sons, the author introduces double characters, Bazarov and Arkady that possesses different traits (Edmunds and Turgenev 1965). The two characters oppose each other in a more nihilistic manner in their emotions. Bazarov shows his love for Madame Odintsova and Fenichka and this shows deep emotion through the characters, which brings the need for care and concern to other people. The other character portrays a picture of carelessness and lack of respect to humanity just to show how indiscipline has taken root in Russian society. Ivan Turgenev is the most ranked democratic and western author in the republic of Russia who embraced the Russian literature in an insightful manner. This novel is the most accessible Russian novel. His novel was attacked and opposed by other Russian authors like Leo Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky as he was progressing in a liberal manner in the western mode of literature (Harrower 2011). Furthermore, he was criticized for failure to create a forceful and a dedicated radical hero. In the comedy, “The inspector general” by Nikolai Gogol, has become a stepping stone for the Russian literature. Through his writings, Gogol influenced other writers after him while portraying the real picture of the Russian history. This is evident from the writings of other Russian writers who asserted that Gogol was the best Russian writer during that time. Apocryphal and Dostoevsky seconds the fact that the other writings in Russia arose from his. Gogol was followed by numerous writers for instance, Babel. Dostoevsky and Nabokov based their essays from Gogol’s writings. Gogol links the Russian writers with the former writers who wrote before him. This follows his close link with Pushkin. He died at an early age of 42 in 1852 and wrote no fiction in a period of ten years (Harrower 2011). In the novel “Fathers and sons”, it opens up the young Arkady together with his friend Bazarov on their way home. He decides to visit Arkady’s father who is Nikolai Petrovitch Kirsanov. Nikolai lives in a declining estate together with Nikolai’s brother, Paul and his young mistress. Nikolai was a well-established aristocrat. This visitation took place during the liberation of the surf in 1860. This was very different to Bazarov who was a nihilist. According to Bazarov, he was willing to destroy the structure of the existing society and begin afresh in life because the society lacked morals. Through his arguments, he foreshadowed the Russia’s bloody future that had to occur in order to get liberation (Edmunds and Turgenev 1965). Piskarev was an artist, who stayed in Petersburg, has been described by the narrator in the novel as a representative of potential talents with the ability to change society. Piskarev is not in a position of realizing his potential talent as he is too much rooted to the world around him. In his room, there are numerous sketches about the artist’s clutter that talks about the arms of the plaster of the Paris arms. This is in depended of the subject who they are required to paint in order to depict their character. While on his work, he spots a girl who people allege that she is a prostitute. This shows how people in Russian society have been struggling in order to make ends meet. It was not her will her to be a prostitute but because of the social conditions around her. According to Piskarev, there are numerous allegations that the girl is a prostitute and this are just but pure dreams, deception and warns the narrator that all that is thought of is not what it seems to be (Harrower 2011). Therefore, it is only through Gogol that we learn about such truth, which has been a secret for a long time. According to Barazov, aristocracy, progress, liberalism and principles are foreign and useless words in the minds of many Russians. He asserts that for the thinkers beyond logic, humanity virtues are very vital human aspects in developing society. In his statement, he asks the masses the need for logic and if it really matters in their lives. He linked logic to taking a piece of bread into one’s mouth and refutes the idea that in scooping a piece of bread into the mouth does not require logic abstractions. His sentiments were highly countered by Pavel Petrovich who thought of his speech as being quite insulting. He blamed Barazov for not recognizing and acknowledging the set principles and rules that ought to guide society (Harrower 2011). Barazov defended his position and argued that people only act by the virtue of what they recognize as useful only. He alludes to denial as the useful thing that numerous Russians have and they follow their mind and deny. He further claims that the thought was not just appalling in poetry and art but it applied to all the other subjects. In their talks, Pavel remained devastated and did not comment after Bolazovic’s argument. On the other hand, ‘Another inspector’, it seems that the comment that the author refers to as ‘the overcoat’ and ‘the nose’ are presumptuous comments. The type of language in the book is not conformed to any mode of language presentation. In his work, there are more than one form that is recognized, that is one may be comic, tragic and either the two literary works can be contained in both the personified objects. According to Gogol, ‘the nose’ in Russian literature, refers to a delicious comedy that condemns the pomposity and the obsession with the relevant rank that is prevalent in Russia. For instance, it becomes very easy to imagine characters like Charlie Chaplin who are involved in the play where Collegiate Assessor discovers that his nose is missing from a deep sleep (Harrower 2011). Therefore, he is forced to request a mirror to confirm the pimple, which appeared on his nose the previous evening. He is surprised to find out that he lacked the nose and had a flat surface instead. This poses a discussion to find out who the man was. This makes Gogol’s work a profound rich source of literature that can distance the writer from his material to satisfy the intense satirical thrust. In the book, the narrator is brought as serious character but this is later dismissed as the story unfolds. In the book, the assessor’s regard is found to be based on very layer of air. In the ‘Father and the sons’, two young men are unequal due to political standards that are unyielding when they fell in love. They therefore tried as much as possible to retain their façade but in vain. Bazarov smiles and he states that the troubles which people experience is not directly proportional to the worthiness it has. Therefore, it is true to state that all people in the world have similar soul and body therefore they deserve to be treated equally not like the inequality that existed in the Russian society. Furthermore, every individual has brain, the heart and lungs that are similar to each other. Morally all human beings are similar as the difference between the two is insignificant (Harrower 2011). Therefore, we judge human beings from one specimen who may act to represent all the others. The author linked human beings to a forest of trees which a botanist cannot analyze each individual tree in a research process. In conclusion, the Russian writers have foreshadowed the Russian history in respect to the modern society. The authors have analyzed the major concerns in a more profound manner. The two books, ‘the father and son’ and ‘the government inspector’ have similarities and differences that have been described in this paper. The paper has analyzed how the two different authors tried to bring out their characters, which reflect the Russian literature in both content and history. The two authors have tried to bring out the foundation for the Russian literature and it portrayed history of the Russian republic. Bibliography Edmonds, Rosemary, and Turgenev Ivan. Fathers and Sons (Penguin Classics). New York: Penguin classics, 1965. Harrower, David. Gogols Government Inspector. New York: Faber and Faber Publisher, 2011. Read More