The image of the epic heroine in the novel “Resurrection” by Leo Tolstoy
https://doi.org/10.26907/2074-0239-2021-64-2-68-75
Abstract
For the first time in literary criticism, the article examines the image of Marya Pavlovna Shchetinina – the epic heroine of Leo Tolstoy’s novel “Resurrection”, representing the ideal female type, which had not previously been found in the writer’s work. We assess various sources of certain Shchetinina’s features: hagiographic motives, images of revolutionaries, etc. By comparing the final text and the drafts, we analyze how Leo Tolstoy selected certain qualities that Marya Pavlovna was endowed with and how the writer worked on the creation of a consistent character of a kind, sincere and self-sacrificing heroine, whose whole life is aimed at transforming the world around and helping others. The article compares two pairs of characters: Nekhlyudov and Katyusha, and Marya Pavlovna and Simonson, analyzes the artistic connections that make it possible to assess their merits and demerits. The character of Marya Pavlovna is interpreted as an epic one – the heroine is fighting not for herself, but for a common cause, she is an example of a warrior maiden endowed with considerable physical and moral strength, fighting for the happiness of other people, for the Russian people.
Keywords
Leo Tolstoy,
novel,
epic novel,
epic,
epic hero,
system of characters,
motives of life,
evolution of the character
Supporting agencies: The reported study was funded by RFBR, project number 20-012-00102
About the Author
V. Andreeva
A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of Russian Academy of Sciences; Kostroma State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Valeria Gennadievna Andreeva, Doctor of Philology, Leading Researcher, Professor
121069
25a Povarskaya Str.
156961
14 1 May Str.
Moscow
Kostroma
References
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Review
For citations:
Andreeva V. The image of the epic heroine in the novel “Resurrection” by Leo Tolstoy. Philology and Culture. 2021;(2):68-75. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26907/2074-0239-2021-64-2-68-75
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