Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1973. / Typescript. Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 299-309).

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, February 2008.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Nikolai Alekseevich Zabolotskii (1903-1958) published his first collection of poems, Stolbtsy, in Leningrad in 1929. This volume of twenty-two poems offers highly evocative and metaphorical descriptions of urban life in Leningrad during the New Economic Policy (NEP) of 1922-1928. Even during this relatively liberal period the collection, which comprises a cycle of inter-related poems, created a sensation and was severely criticized for its satirical view of life and pessimistic tone. The composition of Stolbtsy was heavily influenced by Zabolotskii's membership in the short-lived avant-garde group known as OBERIU, an acronym for "Ob"edinenie real'nogo iskusstva" ("The Association of Real Art"). Zabolotskii helped write the group's manifesto, and it is the literary aesthetic set forth in this document that forms the basis of the critical criteria used to analyze ten poems from Stolbtsy. The primary objective of OBERIU was its striving towards an art that exhibited predmetnost' ("concreteness"). This was an attempt to clear away the conventional contextual associations of words and objects, and to reveal their absolute, fundamental meanings. Predmetnost' was used to emphasize the objective nature of art and its distance from abstraction. This meant the dissolution or segmentation of a depicted object, and the reliance on collisions between verbal units and objects to produce new semantic effects. Zabolotskii called this the "collision of verbal meanings" (stolknovenie slovesnykh smyslov). The ten poems selected for analysis are: "Krasnaia Bavariia," "Belaia noch'," "Ofort," "Leto," "Novyi byt," "Dvizhenie," "Ivanovy," "Pekarnia," "Obvodnyi kanal," and "Narodnyi Dom." These poems illustrate Zabolotskii's reaction to the social effects of NEP on the urban environment of Leningrad and on its citizens. The literary tenets of the OBERIU, especially the concept of predmetnost' ("concreteness"), form a basis from which it is possible to appreciate the structural and aesthetic originality of Zabolotskii's perception of this environment. The poems are examined from their thematic stand-point and from their structural composition in order to understand their meaning and to reveal the ways in which various devices function within a single poem and in relationship to others in the cycle. In these poems Zabolotskii loads his images with multiple associations so that they become distorted. Frequently these images are only visual and function exclusively at this level, rendering experiences more concrete; others have a metaphorical function that clearly represents a vision which has a philosophical level of understanding. Zabolotskii's grotesque perspective in Stolbtsy reflects the sense of alienation that he encountered in NEP-time Leningrad. Zabolotskii considered the excesses of NEP as a betrayal of the ideals of the Revolution; what he did to combat the alienation it engendered was to chronicle the effects of NEP in highly satirical terms and, in the process, to reject its false pretences. This combination forces the reader to attend closely to the themes of the poems and challenges him to re-think his usual definition of reality. Although these poems are not considered OBERIU poems, the literary tenets of the OBERIU Declaration offer the best possible clue to a comprehensive understanding of both the structural composition and thematic make-up of Zabolotskii's highly original volume of poetry. / Arts, Faculty of / Central Eastern Northern European Studies, Department of / Graduate

Nikolai Gogol has been an enigma that many scholars have attempted to understand. No one disputes his artistic genius, yet no one can satisfactorily define it. Both in his artistic works and in his life, Gogol was original, or rather, he was true to himself, a feat that set him apart from Russian society during Nikolai I's reign. Gogol did not have any love affairs nor did he marry. This fact has led many critics to formulate the opinion that Gogol feared women. Theories of an Oedipal or homo-erotic complex, or regression have been set forth as explanations for this fear. Yet did Gogol fear women and do his works reflect this fear? The Oedipal and regressive theories are justified by selecting examples from Gogol's literary works. However, these attempts, to date, have been usually based on one or two works, while the rest of Gogol's works are disregarded. It is the purpose of this study to give a comprehensive analysis of Gogol's life and works before any conclusions are arrived at. The intent is to be objective rather than subjective. To do this, I have had to rely heavily on actual quotations from the author, his works, and opinions voiced by critics. The study has been divided into four chapters. The first chapter deals with Gogol's biography. His early life, his mother's influence, his aspirations and friendships will be surveyed. The second chapter consists of four summaries of recent critiques of Gogol. These four have been chosen on the basis that they reflect a diversity of present-day opinions of Gogol. Setchkarev analyses Gogol's work from an artistic point of view. Erlich regards Gogol as a great grotesque writer whose works reflect existential problems. Driessen and McLean illustrate what can be done when a psychoanalytical approach is used. The third chapter is an examination of Gogol's method of presenting his women characters. As Gogol developed philosophically and artistically, his attitude to women changed. Therefore I have divided the chapter into four parts, each reflecting a different attitude to the subject, women. The parts are called modes and consist of the lyrical, subjective, caricature and idealized mode. The milieu of the women characters, their physical appearance, actions and functions in the stories will be looked at. The last chapter presents my conclusion. On the basis of a textual analysis of Gogol's works, I have arrived at the conclusion that Gogol had a high regard for women. Women are a completely separate entity from men and should be appreciated for what they are. Gogol finds fault with men for expecting too much from women; rather, men should seek contentment within themselves. However, women as objects to behold are an everlasting pleasure to Gogol. / Arts, Faculty of / Central Eastern Northern European Studies, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1994. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [201]-211).

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Copenhagen, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [436]-448) and index.

Dostoevsky--the master novelist--is a unique product of the Russian tradition . He inherited the values of Orthodoxy, of Slavophilism, of Westernism, of rationalism and of romanticism and in his turn contributed to almost every subsequent manifestation in literature from the enlightened mysticism of Aldous Huxley and the pessimism of Hardy to the despair of modern atheist existentialism and the pessimistic optimism of Berdyaev and Marcel. Dostoevsky's work is the joy of all those who delight in paradoxes--and Berdyaev revels in them . His great novels are at the same time different from and more than they seem . They are symbolical and allegorical on the highest level . At least that is how they affect me and how they seem to affect Berdyaev. I would like at this time to express my deep appreciation to Dr. J. St .Clair Sobell, Head of the Department of Slavonic Studies at the University of British Columbia, for his great generosity and encouragement; to Dr. Cyril Bryner for his unflagging assistance, cooperation and understanding; and to Mr. A.W Wainman, who was the first to confront me -with the 'tortured questionings' of Dostoevsky . / Arts, Faculty of / Central Eastern Northern European Studies, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Copenhagen, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [436]-448) and index.

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Copenhagen, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [436]-448) and index.