More handpicked essays just for you.
Enlightenment satires examples
Instances of satire in pride and prejudice
Instances of satire in pride and prejudice
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Nikolai Gogol has been widely recognized as one of the most inspiring and remarkable authors of the Russian Empire and the one who produced an enormous impact on literary work of countless contemporaries and successors, both in the Tsarist Russia and abroad. Particularly, Gogol’s literary legacy is praised for his exceptional ability to deploy humor as a means of expression and the way to convey the message. In this respect, the short story The Overcoat written during the St. Petersburg period of Gogol’s activity is a very important work which balances between tragic and humorous elements and presents a brilliant specimen of satire. In this work, Gogol builds up the powerful criticism of the contemporary Russian society with its social hierarchy, …show more content…
Akaky Akakievitch Bashmatchkin is an ordinary titular councilor, a rather unimportant detail of the bureaucratic mechanism. Introducing him to the reader, the narrator states that he is “not a very high [official]”, “short of stature, somewhat pock-marked, red-haired, and short-sighted, with a bald forehead, wrinkled cheeks, and a complexion of the kind known as sanguine” (Gogol 1). Akaky’s mediocre character is revealed already in the description of his appearance. Gogol’s narrator calls this character a “perpetual” titular councilor, apparently implying that there were no prospects for professional development, promotion or a higher status for him. However, as it becomes clear later, Akaky has no ambitions for that: “However much the directors and chiefs of all kinds were changed, he was always to be seen in the same place, the same attitude, the same occupation; so that it was afterwards affirmed that he had been born in undress uniform with a bald head” (Gogol 2). The narrator spends much time and wit to provide a jestful account of Akaky’s occupation: the character diligently, and probably even with love, performs his monotonous duties, copying letters, “living so entirely for his duties” (Gogol 3). Moreover, Akaky has no interests beyond his occupation and spend his free time copying more letters for pleasure. He has …show more content…
This official is virtually a summarized and generalized image of the bureaucratic ‘entity’ opposite to the low-ranker. The narrator describes the prominent personage in an affable manner, while he treats Akaky in a far more condescending and scornful way: “Otherwise he was a very kind-hearted man, good to his comrades, and ready to oblige; but the rank of general threw him completely off his balance” (Gogol 19). While the prominent personage emphasizes “strictness” as the foundation of the bureaucratic system and treats those who are lower in rank rather aggressively and superciliously, Gogol adds a sprinkle of satire in his description, making the narrator literally condone his behavior. This VIP is “a creature trapped and dehumanized by convention – in his work entirely, but in his private life as well” (Proffitt
He is a brutal, criminal uncle of Nikolai. All he cares about is himself and does not trust other people (especially people outside of his family). If a person works for him they need to do a job and do it well, or else there will be consequences for them.
The short story, “Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka and His Aunt”, explicates the life of a man named Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka. We see him briefly in his young years, followed by his life in the army, and his return to the farm where his strong characterized aunt resides. We can see immediately that this man lives in constant cleanliness and dutiful paranoia; these are some of his desires that he wishes to exhibit to others. We can also see his fears, which reside in the confiscation of his masculinity and independence. This short story has many elements that resemble others in the Nikolai Gogol collection.
In describing the setting, the general locale is the prison in the coldest part of Russia- Siberia, geographically but socially depicting the social circumstances in the prison, but draws analogies to the general social, political and economic circumstances of Russia during the Stalinist era (form 1917 revolution up to 1955). The symbolic significance of the novel and the film (genres) reflects experiences, values and attitudes of the Russian society. The genres reflect the origins of the Russian social disorders and massive counts of political misgivings which watered down real communism in Russia. We are constantly reminded of the social and cultural heritage and originality of Russian ethnic groups through those different levels of meanings
Pushkin’s “The Bronze Horseman” and Gogol’s “Nevsky Prospect” allow a deeper view into the history and lifestyle of St. Petersburg. Both stories exhibit the ambivalence that exists in many aspects of St. Petersburg.
During Russia’s transition to communism in the early 20th century, conflict and unease permeated every part of life. Nothing was stable and very little of what the Bolsheviks had fought for had come to fruition by the time the USSR disbanded in 1991. The “classless society”, which was to work together for the prosperity of everyone, never became a reality. In the end, the majority of Russia’s 20th century was an utter failure on a grand scale. However, there were many amazing products of the system do to the great importance of education in Russian culture. Priceless novels were written, timeless movies were made, and great scientific endeavors were realized despite the rigid control placed upon Russian persons by the government. In fact, some of the most memorable written works of the time were written protests to the creativity-stifling situation many writers found themselves in. Because of the danger to their lives should the wrong people be upset by their writings, Yevgeny Zamyatin and Mikhail Bulgakov wrote their most popular, Soviet-life condemning novels under the guise of satire. Even though they’re satirizing the same subject, in both We and The Master and Margarita respectively, they take very different paths to do so.
The following paper will focus on one of the most characteristically types of work for Chekhov: “The Lady and the Pet Dog”. Our aim is to portrait the character of Dmitry Dmitrich Gurov, in the context of the story, extracting those elements that are characteristic for the period in which Chekhov wrote the story.
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...
In “The Nose” and “The Overcoat,” Gogol makes fun of the rank-conscious Russian society. In “The Overcoat,” he emphasizes the phony world of Russian officials, who are powerless mediators under a hierarchy in which each person fears his superior. Of the two stories, “The Nose” is lighter-hearted and more comedic. On the surface, it is a humorous story about a government official literally losing his nose and searching for it. For much of the time, Gogol makes fun at the official’s expense. In many passages much is stated comically about how stratified Russian society was at the time.
Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons takes place in midnineteenth century Russia. Throughout the text Turgenev explores the pros and cons of the nihilist philosophy and how nihilism, coupled with the presence of generational and class based animosities, affects the greater Russian identity. Properties of nihilism are examined and tested as the characters encounter aristocratic lifestyles and the redeeming power of love. The female characters in Fathers and Sons represent a wide range of socioeconomic positions and temperaments, these women test the thinking of the nihilists by their propensities towards emotion, order, feminism, shyness, and propriety. This exploration of gender roles and the balance of power between women and the men that they control is subject to their ascribed classes and the relationships they hold. These women fall into two major categories: the autocratic and the dependent. The aristocratic “mothers” and dependent “daughters” of Fathers and Sons bring about the reevaluation of Bazarov and Arkady’s nihilistic beliefs and furthermore utilize their feminine qualities to manipulate the men in their lives.
While confronting Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground seems a difficult task initially, one must be able to transcend the elaborate diction and parodies, and comprehend the author himself, while also taking root the message Dostoevsky had originally intended in the time it was addressed. Understanding the author himself, along with the period in which the work was written, augments one’s overall discernment of the passage. In the age he wrote, Dostoevsky must have seemed eccentric and outlandish; nevertheless, looking back on him from today with a literary understanding of modernism, he appears ahead of his time. His central premise, although difficult to determine amongst the satire, is humanity’s necessity for freedom and religion, specifically Christianity.
Having recently completed several Books by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment,” the “Idiot” and the Possessed. The complicated nature of his writings, much of which admittedly present some difficulty in one’s understanding of them. Discussing the material certainly helps expand one’s thinking of these subjects not before given much thought. Politics of the time, religion and social awareness are some of the issues so detailed by the author make me want to read more. The following paragraphs briefly describe the Novels read. Between the years 1866 and 1880, Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky completed several well-read novels, including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Possessed plus a long list of other outstanding works.
Dostoevsky’s noteworthy literary works each contain similarities in theme, character development, and purpose when analyzed beyond face value. Dostoevsky’s early life and ideals, intertwined with life-changing events that shifted his ideologies, and critiques of fellow Russian writers during his time period lay the groundwork for Dostoevsky’s recurring arguments for the way which Russian society would be best-off, as well as ways in which the people of Russia would be suited to live the most fulfilling, non-corrupt lives.
The overall simplicity of life in St. Petersburg is present throughout the novel and elaborated quite a lot. Life was innocent and simple in the time and very diverse due to it being the south for example, “White, mul...
...could not dig the contradiction between the proletariat and the propertied class more deeply. The main purpose is still supporting the rotten capitalist system and guaranteeing the benefits of the propertied class. With regard to the technique of expression, it made a point of the details and a depiction of the typical model, took note of plots and the arrangement of composition. In each realm of literature particularly in novel, Critical Realism has done a precious quest, enriched the means the artistic performance, strengthened the depth of thought, and accumulated precious wealth of art. It was the product of the establishment and development of capitalism; it was the artistic record of this period complex history. As Gorky said，the critical realism was the "19th century's chief, most glorious and most profitable" (Gorky 1978: 333-334) literature trend.