Doctor Zhivago’s Uniquely Realistic Qualities

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Boris Pasternak’s life is heavily influenced by Russians misfortunes during the 20th century. Brunsdale Mitzi describes Boris Pasternak’s life in “Boris Pasternak”: During his childhood, he lives in Moscow before he and his family escape the civil disarray by moving to Germany (par. 2). Later moving back to Moscow, Pasternak witness’s devastation, civil war, and Soviet repression that will plague the rest of his life (Mitzi par. 2 – 5). This brings his family to the decision to move back to Germany; however, not long after Germany and Russia’s peace treaty is broken, forcing a move once again (Mitzi par. 6). This time, his family moves to Chistopol where his first wife commits suicide, while he remains near Moscow working as a translator to send money to his family (Mitzi par. 6). Pasternak then meets his second wife Ivinskaya, who is portrayed by Lara in his book Doctor Zhivago; she is arrested and “held for more than one year in the Lyubyanka Prison, and sent to a Siberian labor camp because she refused to incriminate him” (Mitzi par. 11). Boris Pasternak’s personal experiences with life in Russia during the 20th century allows him to create the emotion and tone that would have really been felt by citizens during the period. Boris Pasternak’s representation of Russian life during the turmoil of the Russian revolution accurately depicts the uncertainty in life, the absence of basic necessities, the methods for survival in times of tumult, and the horrifying brutality an upper-class family faces during this time of political chaos. Boris Pasternak creates a tone for a life turned upside down and filled with instability in Doctor Zhivago analogous to the tone felt by Russian people during the revolution. Yuri, a main char... ... middle of paper ... ...ne. “Moscow: A Cultural History.” New York: Oxford University, 2006. Print. Brunsdale, Mitzi. “Boris Pasternak.” Critical Survey Of Long Fiction. 4th ed. (2010): 1 – 7. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. Corney, Frederick “What Is To Be Done With Soviet Russia? The Politics Of Proscription And Possibility.” Journal Of Policy History 21.3 (2009): 264 – 281. Political Science Complete. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. Liudmila, Novikova. “Russia’s Red Revolutionary and White Terror, 1917 – 1921: A Provincial Perspective.” Europe-Asia Studies. Oct. (2013): n. pag. One Search. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. Mukhina, Irina. “Experiencing Russia's Civil War: Politics, Society, And Revolutionary Culture In Saratov, 1917 – 1922.” Journal Of Social History 3 (2005): 780. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. Pasternak, Boris. Doctor Zhivago. New York: Wolff Book Mfg, 1958. Print.

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