| dc.description |
This thesis examines Lev Tolstoy’s diachronic reception of Homeric epic poetry. Situated in the field of classical reception in nineteenth century Russian literature, it argues that Tolstoy’s writing initially celebrated the Homeric notion of heroism by adapting it to a nationalistic discourse; then transitioned to problematizing traditional epic heroism in Tolstoy’s middle period by means of a historiographical critique; and culminated in a reconciliation with heroic epic in Tolstoy’s later work by spiritualizing the category of Homeric poetry. By applying a Nietzschean reading to Tolstoy’s published and unpublished material, this study contends that Tolstoy’s historiographical approach was essentially nihilistic, a position which prompted Tolstoy’s creation of the radical intellectual category istoriia-iskusstvo, or history-art. I show how this historical-aesthetic orientation provided a theoretical justification for Tolstoy’s deliberate manipulation of Homer’s poetry and identity.
An investigation of how Tolstoy appropriated, adapted, and reconfigured elements of Homeric material in his writing, from some of his earliest short stories, ‘The Raid’ and ‘The Woodfelling’, to his final significant work of fiction, Hadji Murat, sheds light on how Homer’s poetry served Tolstoy not only as an aesthetic model, but as an ethical, historiographical, and spiritual reference point. In doing so, this thesis explains Tolstoy’s constantly shifting literary and intellectual projects and concerns from the perspective of his commitment to traditional heroic epic, which remained constant throughout his writing career. Finally, I demonstrate how Tolstoy developed, legitimized, and canonized his own version of Russia’s cultural identity, collective memory, sociopolitical values, and religious faith, by drawing on Homer’s poetry. I will contextualize Tolstoy’s reception of Homeric material in relation to the Crimean War, the social responsibility of artistic and historical disciplines, and the empire’s expansion into the Caucasus. |
|