Russian Romantic Heroes in English or other European Literatures

[russell valentino]

Dear Subhash,

        I assume you mean why have Russian men typically failed to become
lovable characters for English language authors. The easiest answer that
comes to mind is that this has most to do with stereotypes and politics
over the past hundred and some years.
        Conrad's "harlequin" in Heart of Darkness is certainly not lovable,
but nor is he the principle of universal destruction that Zola makes his
Russian in *Germinal* (he who sabotages the coal mine, forcing it to
implode). The harlequin figure was translated by Coppola into the
drugged-out American photographer played by Dennis Hopper in *Apocalypse
Now,* and while this transformation might seem unfortunate at first glance,
it may also tap into a fundamental quality of "Russian" representations in
Western lits., what Sinyavsky calls the "amorphous" quality of the Russian
national character (in his *Soviet Civilization* -- sorry, I don't have the
ref. with me).
        On the other hand, from a purely practical standpoint, the
characteristic largeness and deep-voicedness of Russian men, combined with
the Nevsky-like "razmakh" of typical Russian heroes, make it that much
harder to depict them as lovable, a point proven by Andre Gregory's choice
of casting Wally Shawn as Uncle Vanya in Louis Malle's *Vanya on 42nd
Street.* Little and lovable.
        My two cents.

                        Russell.


>Dear Friends,
>
>In John Berger's novel Once in Europa the narrator Odile Blanc falls in love
>with Stepan Pirogov a young Russian sailor who has come to live and work in
>small town in the French Alps. As a orphaned boy he was adopted by Ukrainian
>parents who migrated to Sweden during the civil war. This Stepan Pirogov is
>a very lovable hero of the type I have never come across in English
>Literature.  The other similar hero who comes remotely close to him is in
>Henrich Boll's Group Portrait with Lady . I was wondering if my seelanger
>friends have come across similar protagonists in English or other European
>twentieth-century literature. The question which intrigues is that although
>there are several romantic, lovable French, Italian, German and Spanish
>protagonists in English literature why the 'Russians' have failed to make
>the grade?
>
>
>Thanks and best wishes
>
>
>Subhash
>
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