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On Socialist Realism

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On Socialist Realism A MAJOR DOCUMENT FROM RUSSIA: ON SOCIALIST REALISM Introduction The title of this article does not even begin to convey its importance as an intellectual and historical document. It is, we believe, one of the most significant Pieces of writing to come out of contemporary Russia; and we take pride in pre- senting here the first full English translation. The article was written in Russia by a Russian writer, 37 or 38 years old. He managed to convey it to Paris, where the liberal monthly Esprit published a French translation. It was written before the Pasternak affair, and has, of course, not ap- peared in Russia itself. The version that follows has been translated from the Russian by Mr. George Delinis. Mr. Dennis notes: "The style tells a good deal about the man. The article is written in poetic Prose, the oldest type of Russian prose, whose persistence in Russia was recently revealed to the West by the publication of Doctor Zhivago. This persistence may well be news also to the Russians: this article should help to allay the fears re- cently expressed by Constantine Paustovski, a talented and humane Soviet writer, that the Russian language would be completely replaced by a party jargon. "To a Western reader, Russian poetic prose does not always make easy read- ing. It is not only peppered with verse; it is also a series of lyrical outbursts. I can assure the reader that the original contains even more question marks and exclamation points than the translation. Moreover, the prose is shot through with poetic images, metaphors and rhythms. Fundamentally, it is a personal prose as well as a product of its national environment. "A closer stylistic analysis will reveal that the poetic prose of this article has been formed by a process of historical accumulation. The succession of strata can still be seen, as in a geological formation. Over the original Slav stratum is a strong layer of Byzantinism, mainly contributed by the Orthodox religion. Then comes a layer contributed by the West, in this case mostly German idealistic phi- losophy and French literature. The top layer is Marxist or, if you wish, Com- munist. The Russian language has assimilated them all, just as, no doubt, it is now engaged in assimilating American influences .. "The best clue to unravelling the ambiguities in which the author's attitude toward Communism is inevitably involved," continues Mr. Dennis, "is the irony which sets the tone of the article. There is at least one example of it on every page. This kind of irony has been the favorite literary weapon of Russian and, indeed, European writers .. 39 "It might help American readers to understand the outlook of the author if they recalled how Swift, savagely lashing out against the English Ascendency in Ireland, remained part of that Ascendency. Our author has freed one of his feet from Communism. He uses it to kick Communism, and some of his kicks are pretty hard. But his other foot is still stuck in Communism—and stuck fast." To these remarks very little need be added. We believe that this article pre- sents an incomparable portrait of a highly intelligent and cultivated man, whose sentiments, ironies, even confusions may well be shared by other literate Russians. For democrats and socialists in the West, it is a moral responsibility to listen to the voice of this man with the greatest attention and sympathy.—Enrroxs. What is socialist re- The most exact definition of social- alism? What is the meaning of this ist realism is given in a statute of the strange and jarring phrase? Can there Association of Soviet Writers: "Social- be a socialist, capitalist, Christian or ist realism is the basic method of So- Mohammedan realism? Does this ir- viet Iiterature and Iiterary criticism. rational concept have a natural exist- It demands from the artist a truthful ence? Perhaps it does not exist at all, and historically concrete representa- perhaps it is only the nightmare of tion of reality in its revolutionary de- a terrified intellectual during the dark velopment. Moreover, the truthfulness and magical night of Stalin's dictator- and historical concreteness of the ar- ship? Perhaps a crude propaganda tistic representation of reality must trick of Zhdanov or a senile fancy of be linked with the task of ideological Gorki? Is it fiction, myth or propa- transformation and education of work- ganda? ers in the spirit of socialism." (First Such questions, we are told, are often All-Union Congress of Soviet Writers, asked in the West. They are hotly 1934, p. 716.) debated in Poland. They are also cur- This innocent formula is the foun- rent among us, where they arouse dation on which the entire edifice of eager minds, tempting them into the socialist realism was erected. It in- heresies of doubt and criticism. cludes the link between socialist real- Meanwhile, the productions of so- ism and the realism of the past, as well cialist realism are measured in billions as its new and distinguishing quality. of printed sheets, kilometers of can- The link lies in the truthfulness of the vas and film, centuries of hours. A representation; the difference, in the thousand critics, theoreticians, art ex- ability to seize the revolutionary devel- perts, pedagogues are beating their opment and to educate readers in ac- heads and straining their voices to cordance with that development, in justify, explain and interpret its ma- the spirit of socialism. The old real- terial existence and dialectical charac- ists, or, as they are sometimes called, ter. The head of the state himself, the critical realists (because they criticized First Secretary of the CP, tears him- bourgeois society), men like Balzac, self away from pressing economic tasks Tolstoy and Chekhov, truthfully rep- to pronounce some weighty words on resented life as it is. But not having the country's esthetic problems.• been instructed in the genius and teachings of Marx, they could not • This refers to Khrushchev's speeches to foresee the future victories of social- Soviet intellectuals, collected and pub- ism, and they certainly did not know lished in 1957 under the title, For a the real and concrete roads to these Close Link Between Literature and Art and the Life of the People. victories. 40 The socialist realist, armed with the of human nature. I extend my hand doctrine of Marx and enriched by the to receive the coins. I go to a movie experience of struggles and victories, to spend some time with a pretty girl. is inspired by the vigilant attention of I write a novel to earn glory and the his friend and teacher, the Communist gratitude of posterity. Each of my Party. While representing the present, conscious moves is purposeful. he listens to the march of history and Animals do not have such long- looks toward the future. He sees the range intentions. They are moved by "visible traits of Communism," invisi- instincts. They bite to bite, and not ble to the ordinary eye. His creative for the purpose of biting. They don't work is a step forward from the art think about tomorrow, wealth, God. of the past, the highest peak of the They live without facing any complex artistic development of mankind and problems. But man invariably wants the most realistic of realisms. what he has not got. This quality of Such, in a few words, is the general our nature finds its outlet in a feverish scheme of our art. It is amazingly activity. We transform nature into simple, yet sufficiently elastic to com- our own image and turn nature into prehend Gorki, Mayakovski, Fadeev, an object. Aimless rivers become ar- Aragon, Ehrenburg and hundreds of teries of communication. Aimless trees others. But we cannot understand this become paper filled with destiny. concept at all as long as we skim the Our abstract thought is no less tele- surface of the dry formula and do not ological. Man explores the world by penetrate into its deep and hidden attributing to it his own purposeful- meaning. ness. He asks: "What is the use of the The gist of this formula—"the truth- sun?" and answers: "To give light ful, historically concrete representa- and heat." The animism of primitive tion of reality in its revolutionary de- peoples is the first attempt to conquer velopment"—is founded on the con- senseless chaos by endowing it with cept of Purpose with a capital P. The many aims, and to animate the in- Purpose is an all-embracing ideal, to- different universe with a life useful wards which truthfully represented re- to man. ality ascends in an undeviating revolu- Science has not freed us from the tionary movement. To direct this childish questions of "Why?" Behind movement towards its end and to help the causal relations that it establishes the reader approach it more closely we find the hidden and distorted pur- by transforming his consciousness— posefulness of natural phenomena. this is the Purpose of socialist realism, Science says: "man descends from the the most purposeful art of our time .. monkey" instead of saying: "the desti- ny of the monkey is to become man." THE CONCEPT OF PURPOSE However man may have originated, Our art, like our culture and our so- his appearance and purpose are in- ciety, is teleological through and separable from God—that is, from the through. It is subject to a higher des- highest idea of purpose which is ac- tiny, from which it gains its title of cessible to us, if not through our un- nobility. In the final reckoning we live derstanding, then through our wish only to speed the coming of Commu- that there should be such a purpose.
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