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Presentation in the Russian-Formalism.pptx
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- 2. INTRODUCTION(Historical Context) ďˇ Late19th century: No dominant school of literary criticism ďˇ Literary criticism was not widely recognized as academic discipline ďˇ Research was often based on psychological or sociohistorical principles ďˇ Some scholars focused on the authorâs personal vision and creativity ďˇ Others used biographical approach: Interpreting literature through the author's life. ďˇ Early 20th century: Emergence of Russian Formalism, shifting away from traditional interpretations
- 3. RUSSIAN FORMALISM Russian Formalismemerged in the early 20th century, focusing on the structure of literary texts rather than their content. It revolutionized literary criticism by prioritizing the form and technique of literature over historical and biographical contexts.
- 4. RUSSIAN FORMALISM (Proponents) â˘In the mid-1910s, two distinct Russian scholarly groups emerged: the Moscow Linguistic Circle (1915) and OPOYAZ (1916) in Petrograd. ⢠Key figures in the Moscow Linguistic Circle: Roman Jakobson, Jan Mukarovsky, Peter Bogatyrev, and G. O. Vinokur. ⢠Key members of OPOYAZ: Victor Shklovsky, Boris Eichenbaum, and Victor Vinogradov.
- 5. Roman Jakobson Jan Mukarovsky Peter Bogatyrev G. O. Vinokur MoscowLinguistic Circle (1915)
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- 7. ď He wasa Russian and Soviet literary theorist, critic, writer, and pamphleteer. ď He is best known for developing the concept of defamiliarization in literature where he explained it in the important essay "Arts as Technique". Victor Shklovsky
- 8. RUSSIAN FORMALISM According toShklovsky, narrative prose has two important aspects: ď Fabula (Story) Fabula is the raw material of the story and can be considered somewhat akin to the writer's working outline. This contains the chronological series of events of the story. ď Syuzhet (Plot) The syuzhet is the literary devices the writer uses to transform a story (the fabula) into plot.
- 9. RUSSIAN FORMALISM There isa distinction of between the actual sequence of a storyâs event as they are presented in the narrative. Example: The fabula is always chronological, moving from beginning to end, whereas the syuzhet may start at the middle (in media res) and then jump back and forth within the chain of events.
- 10. RUSSIAN FORMALISM ⢠Bothgroups rejected 19th-century assumptions, such as viewing literature as an expression of the author's worldview. ⢠Psychological and biographical criticism were dismissed as irrelevant to literary interpretation. ⢠These scholars declared the autonomy of literature and poetic language, promoting a scientific approach to interpretation. ⢠The Russian Formalists were suppressed by the Soviet government in 1930 but their ideas continued through scholars like Roman Jakobson and Vladimir Propp. Their influence resurfaced in the 1960s, shaping French and American structuralism.
- 11. Russian formalists attempteda scientific description of literature as a special use of language 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 BASIC ASSUMPTIONS They focused more on the form of literature, rather than its content. Biographical, social, political or cultural context are not important in the critical process. They also emphasized the difference between literary language and non-literary practical language that aims at communicating information
- 12. 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 BASIC ASSUMPTIONS It isimportant for them to show the way something is said rather that what is said. The text is the sum total of its devices, form and content. The plot cannot be separated.
- 13. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS LITERARINESS ďź Literarinessis a feature that distinguishes literature from other human creations ďź Russian formalists thought of literature as the sum of technical devices that made the text different from others.
- 14. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS FOREGROUNDING Foregrounding isthe act of emphasizing a particular part of a literary work through a writerâs linguistic choices, for example, using a particularly interesting literary device in order to make a line or paragraph stand out.
- 15. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS Example offoregrounding in poetry: love is thicker than forget by E.E. Cummings love is more thicker than forget more thinner than recall more seldom than a wave is wet more frequent than to fail
- 16. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS HABITUALIZATION ďś Itrefers to the things we do in everyday life, things which are repetitive, where many processes in our daily life are unconscious. Example: Shklovsky gives us the example of holding a pen for the first time, which is certainly much different from holding it for the ten- thousandth time. By the ten-thousandth time, it becomes so automatic that we don't think about doing it.
- 17. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS Defamiliarization One ofthe central concepts of Russian Formalism is defamiliarization or ostranenie. This technique involves presenting familiar objects in an unfamiliar way to enhance perception and experience, thereby deepening the readerâs engagement.
- 18. BRIDGING THE GAPBETWEEN RUSSIAN FORMALISM AND NEW CRITICISM ⢠Russian Formalism is sometimes paired with New Criticism, which dominated Anglo-American criticism from the 1930s to the 1950s. ⢠Both are identified as types of Formalism but have distinct histories and developments. ⢠New Criticism developed separately in the U.S. and Britain, with no direct relation to Russian Formalism. ⢠In the 1940s, Russian Formalists Roman Jakobson and RenÊ Wellek engaged with New Critics in the U.S., influencing each other's ideas. ⢠Some New Critical principles reflect concepts from Russian Formalism.
- 20. APPLYING RUSSIAN FORMALISMTO A TEXT Instructions: Read the poem âInstructions for Not Giving Upâ and answer the following questions:
- 21. APPLYING RUSSIAN FORMALISMTO A TEXT 1. What literary devices (like metaphor, simile, or imagery) are used in the poem? o Focus on the specific techniques the poet uses and how these techniques affect the meaning. 2. In what ways do the poem make ordinary ideas or objects feel strange or new? (defamiliarization) o Look at how the poem presents familiar things in unexpected ways to make the reader see them differently.
- 22. APPLYING RUSSIAN FORMALISMTO A TEXT 3. How does the poemâs use of sound (like rhyme, alliteration, or repetition) enhance its meaning or emotional impact? o Analyze how the sounds of the poem affect its rhythm, tone, or mood.
Editor's Notes
- #2Â By the late 19th century, no single school of literary criticism dominated. Literary criticism was not widely considered an academic activity. Academic research often focused on psychological or sociohistorical approaches, viewing literature as a product of its social or political context. Some scholars argued that literary works reflected the personal visions and impressions of the author, encouraging creative interaction between author and reader. Others adopted a biographical approach, interpreting texts through the author's life experiences. In the early 20th century, Russian Formalism emerged, marking a radical shift away from these traditional methods of interpretation.
- #3Â In other words, it is the study of a text without taking into account any outside influences such as cultural, societal, biographical, and political contexts.
- #4Â They are considered founders of modern literary criticism, known as Russian Formalism, radically shifting the direction of literary theory.
- #7Â Later on, we are going to discuss the concept of defamiliarization.
- #10 Although the members of both groups often disagreed concerning the principles of literary interpretation, they were united in their rejection of 19th centuryâŚ..
- #13Â The proper study of literature, they declared, is literature itself. To study literature is to study poetics, which is an analysis of a work's constituent parts-its linguistic and structural features-or its form. Form, they asserted, included the internal mechanics of the work itself, especially its poetic language. It is these internal mechanics or what the Formalists called devices that compose the artfulness and literariness of any given text, not a work's subject matter or content.
- #17Â To make it simple, It is the idea of looking at an object in a different way. âA cold glass of waterâ can be described as âcrystal-clear liquid that glistens like diamonds, refreshing the parched throat with its cool embrace.â Or Instead of saying, "The sun set in the evening," you might say, "The fiery orange ball dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows as it bid farewell to the day."