Paul Debreczeny All Manuals & Guides Book sku-1721363

Social Functions of Literature: Alexander Pushkin and Russian Culture is a hardcover listed under Paul Debreczeny in All Manuals & Guides, SKU sku-1721363. The study examines how Pushkin's writing affected readers as individuals and members of social groups.

Its first part draws on memoirs, diaries and correspondence to explore readers' reactions, including accounts of emotional relief and personal development, using approaches from perception studies, developmental psychology and psychoanalysis. The second part considers how social surroundings shaped literary tastes in early nineteenth-century Russia.

It discusses Pushkin imitations and his responses, Nikolai Gogol's development among Pushkin's social circles, stage adaptations, textbooks and anthologies. The third part examines how Pushkin's death in a duel contributed to his status as a national symbol and martyr, a status that persisted despite Soviet efforts to elevate Lenin.

The analysis includes close readings of The Prisoner of the Caucasus, Eugene Onegin, Poltava, Egyptian Nights and several lyric poems.