Свансон М. Л. The influence of Vissarion Belinskiī on the literary criticism of Mikhail Naimy (2016)

Свансон М. Л. The influence of Vissarion Belinskiī on the literary criticism of Mikhail Naimy // Российский гуманитарный журнал. — 2016.

Аннотация

In the article the influence of Russian literary criticism on writings of Mikhail Naimy, the world renowned figure in modern Arabic literature, is studied. Together other Arab-American men of letters he founded the Pen Association, a literary league in New York that lifted Arabic literature from the quagmire of stagnation, imitation and old classicism. They also promoted the new generation of Arab writers and made it an active force in Arab nationalism. In this article the author touches upon the only one aspect of Naimy’s multifaceted literary efforts, his literary criticism. The article is focused on the key role of the Russian influence in its development. We would claim that along with Arabic influence the American and Western Europe literary traditions played a secondary role in Naimy ’s development. Only the Russian school had produced a developed theory of criticism and an understanding of literature that positioned the critic, along with the writer, as a social reformer, and viewed criticism along with writing as a social labor. It was Russian literature that had the most important impact on Naimy.

Ключевые слова

Mikhail Naimy, Vissarion Belinskii, Russian influence, modern Arabic literature, Russian literary criticism