Tolstoy Question

[Alexandra Smith]

Dear Hugh,

One of the main themes of the book is related to the issue of growing  
up and puberty. The main protagonist/narrator is younger than  
Vladimir, and we are told about the fact that he keeps comparing  
himself to his brother Vladimir. In the chapter related to the part  
titled "Youth" we learn that Vladimir was a big boy for the last two  
years but his feelings towards Katya were ambivalent. Isn't the same  
problem as we see in Blok's life? It's a well-known fact that he  
couldn't consummate his marriage but he was happy to have relationship  
with women of lower class. It's not that unusual.
The same problem is featured in Pushkin's tale "Barysnya-krestyanka"  
-- it's modeled  on the 18th-c.  English play penned by Oliver Smith  
-- "She Stoops to Conquer".
There is no way that the word "sheet" (prostynya) could be translated  
as bath towel. It doesn't make any sense in the context of the whole  
trilogy.
In the context of the whole narrative, it does make a lot of sense to  
use the juxtaposition between "lineika" and  "prostynia". The  
old-fashioned verb "linevat'" would refer to the notion of social  
norm, too. Thus we see a tension between the norm and erotic  
tension/dreams/transgression.
Volodya's experience is similar to his younger brother's experience.  
Tolstoy would see it as part of the same process of growing up. But if  
we juxtapose the passage described in the trilogy to his later work  
"Kreitserovaia sonata", then it becomes obvious why Tolstoy uses the  
word "disgust" in the passage we are dealing with. It does make sense  
if we take account of Tolstoy's views on sexuality.
In sum, Volodya is depicted here through the eyes of his younger  
brother and Tolstoy himself. Tolstoy assumes that his readers would be  
familiar with these feelings that comprise erotic desire and shyness  
at the same time and clash with the social norms and modes of behaviour.

All best,
Alexandra






------------------------
Alexandra Smith (PhD, University of London)
Reader in Russian Studies
Department of European Languages and Cultures
School of  Languages, Literatures and Cultures
The University of Edinburgh
David Hume Tower
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9JX
UK

tel. +44-(0)131-6511381
fax: +44- (0)131 -651 -1482
e-mail: Alexandra.Smith at ed.ac.uk



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