“Eternal Images”: Directory of Literary Terms. Essay on the topic “Eternal images” in world literature Eternal types in literature examples

The history of literature knows many cases when the works of a writer were very popular during his lifetime, but as time passed, they were forgotten almost forever. There are other examples: the writer was not recognized by his contemporaries, but the real value of his works was discovered by subsequent generations.

But there are very few works in literature, the importance of which cannot be overestimated, because they create images that excite every generation of people, images that inspire the creative search of artists of different times. Such images are called “eternal” because they are carriers of traits that are always inherent in a person.

Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra lived out his life in poverty and loneliness, although during his lifetime he was known as the author of the talented, vivid novel “Don Quixote.” Neither the writer himself nor his contemporaries knew that several centuries would pass, and his heroes would not only not be forgotten, but would become “the most popular Spaniards,” and their compatriots would erect a monument to them. That they will emerge from the novel and live their own independent lives in the works of prose writers and playwrights, poets, artists, composers. Today it is even difficult to list how many works of art were created under the influence of the images of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza: Goya and Picasso, Massenet and Minkus turned to them.

The immortal book was born from the idea of ​​writing a parody and ridiculing the chivalric romances that were so popular in Europe in the 16th century, when Cervantes lived and worked. And the writer’s plan expanded, and on the pages of the book his contemporary Spain came to life, the hero himself changed: from a parody knight he grows into a funny and tragic figure. The conflict of the novel is both historically specific (it reflects the writer’s contemporary Spain) and universal (for it exists in any country at all times). The essence of the conflict: the clash of ideal norms and ideas about reality with reality itself - not ideal, “earthly”.

The image of Don Quixote has also become eternal due to its universality: always and everywhere there are noble idealists, defenders of goodness and justice, who defend their ideals, but are unable to really assess reality. Even the concept of “quixoticism” arose. It combines a humanistic striving for the ideal, enthusiasm, lack of selfishness, on the one hand, and naivety, eccentricity, adherence to dreams and illusions, on the other. Don Quixote's inner nobility is combined with the comedy of her external manifestations (he is able to fall in love with a simple peasant girl, but sees in her only a Beautiful noble lady).

The second important eternal image of the novel is the witty and earthy Sancho Panza. He is the complete opposite of Don Quixote, but the heroes are inextricably linked, they are similar to each other in their hopes and disappointments. Cervantes shows with his heroes that reality without ideals is impossible, but they must be based on reality.

A completely different eternal image appears before us in Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. This is a deeply tragic image. Hamlet understands reality well, soberly assesses everything that happens around him, and firmly stands on the side of good against evil. But his tragedy is that he cannot take decisive action and punish evil. His indecisiveness is not a sign of cowardice; he is a brave, outspoken person. His hesitation is a consequence of deep thoughts about the nature of evil. Circumstances require him to kill his father's killer. He hesitates because he perceives this revenge as a manifestation of evil: murder will always remain murder, even when a villain is killed. The image of Hamlet is the image of a person who understands his responsibility in resolving the conflict between good and evil, who stands on the side of good, but his internal moral laws do not allow him to take decisive action. It is no coincidence that this image acquired a special resonance in the 20th century - an era of social upheaval, when each person solved for himself the eternal “Hamlet question”.

Several more examples of “eternal” images can be given: Faust, Mephistopheles, Othello, Romeo and Juliet - they all reveal eternal human feelings and aspirations. And every reader learns from these images to understand not only the past, but also the modern.

June 19 2011

Eternal images - this is the name of the images of world literature, which are indicated by the great power of bad generalization and have become a universal spiritual acquisition.

These include Prometheus, Moses, Faust, Don Juan, Don Quixote, Hamlet and others. Arising in specific socio-historical conditions, these images lose historical specificity and are perceived as universal human types, images - symbols. New and new generations of writers turn to them, giving them interpretations determined by their time (“Caucasus” by T. Shevchenko, “The Stone Master” by L. Ukrainka, “Moses” by I. Frank, etc.)

Prometheus's mind, fortitude, heroic service to people, courageous suffering for their sake have always attracted people. No wonder this is one of the “eternal images”. It is known that there is a concept of “Prometheism”. The meaning is the eternal desire for heroic action, insubordination, and the ability to sacrifice in the name of humanity. So it is not without reason that this image encourages brave people to new searches and discoveries.

This is probably why writers, musicians, and artists from different eras turned to the image of Prometheus. It is known that the image of Prometheus was admired by Goethe, Byron, Shelley, Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka, Ivan Franko, and Rylsky. The spirit of titanium inspired famous artists - Michelangelo, Titian, composers - Beethoven, Wagner, Scriabin.

The “eternal image” of Hamlet from Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name has become a definite symbol of culture and received a new life in the art of different countries and eras.

Hamlet embodied the man of the late Renaissance. A person who comprehended the limitlessness of the world and his own capabilities and was confused before this limitlessness. This is a deeply tragic image. Hamlet understands reality well, soberly assesses everything that surrounds him, and firmly stands on the side of good. But his problem is that he cannot take decisive action and defeat evil.

His indecisiveness is not a manifestation of cowardice: he is brave, frank. His doubts are the result of deep thoughts about the nature of evil. Circumstances require him to take the life of his father's killer. He doubts because he perceives this revenge as a manifestation of evil: murder always remains murder, even when a villain is killed.

The image of Hamlet is the image of a person who understands his responsibility in resolving the conflict between good and evil, who stands on the side of good, but his internal moral laws do not allow him to take decisive action.

Goethe turns to the image of Hamlet, who interpreted this image as a kind of Faust, a “damned poet” forced to atone for the sins of civilization. This image acquired particular significance among the romantics. It was they who discovered the “eternity” and universality of what Shakespeare created. Hamlet, in their understanding, is almost the first romantic hero who painfully experiences the imperfections of the world.

This image has not lost its relevance in the 20th century - the century of social upheaval, when each person decides for himself the eternal “Hamlet” question. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the English Thomas Eliot wrote the poem “The Love Song of Alfred Prufrock,” which reflected the poet’s despair from the realization of the meaninglessness of existence. Critics accurately called the main character of this poem the fallen Hamlet of the 20th century. Russian poets I. Annensky, M. Tsvetaeva, B. Pasternak turned to the image of Hamlet.

Cervantes lived out his life in poverty and alone, although throughout his life he was known as the brilliant novelist “Don Quixote.” Neither the writer himself nor his contemporaries knew that several centuries would pass, and his heroes would not only not be forgotten, but would become “the most popular Spaniards,” and their compatriots would erect a monument to them, that they would emerge from the novel and live their own lives in the works of prose writers and playwrights, poets, artists, composers. Today it is difficult to list how many works of art were created under the influence of the images of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza: Goya and Picasso, Massenet and Minkus turned to them.

“Eternal” images of world literature

"Eternal" images- artistic images of works of world literature, in which the writer, based on the vital material of his time, was able to create a lasting generalization applicable in the life of subsequent generations. These images acquire a nominal meaning and retain artistic significance right up to our time. They are ambiguous and multifaceted. In each of them lie great passions, which, under the influence of certain events, sharpen one or another character trait to the extreme.

"Eternal" images should not be mixed with common noun images, which do not have such a generalizing, universal meaning ( Mitrofanushka, Khlestakov, Oblomov, Manilov etc.)

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ESSAY

ETERNAL IMAGES IN WORLD LITERATURE

Eternal images are artistic images of works of world literature in which the writer, based on the vital material of his time, was able to create a lasting generalization applicable in the life of subsequent generations. These images acquire a nominal meaning and retain artistic significance right up to our time. These are also mythological, biblical, folklore and literary characters who clearly expressed moral and ideological content that is significant for all mankind and were repeatedly embodied in the literature of different peoples and eras. Each era and each writer puts their own meaning into the interpretation of each character, depending on what they want to convey to the outside world through this eternal image.

An archetype is a primary image, an original; universal human symbols that form the basis of myths, folklore and culture itself as a whole and are passed down from generation to generation (stupid king, evil stepmother, faithful servant).

In contrast to the archetype, which primarily reflects the “genetic”, original characteristics of the human psyche, eternal images are always a product of conscious activity, have their own “nationality”, time of occurrence and, therefore, reflect not only the universal human perception of the world, but also a certain historical and cultural experience embodied in an artistic image. The universal character of eternal images is given by “the kinship and commonality of the problems facing humanity, the unity of the psychophysiological properties of man.

However, representatives of different social strata at different times invested their own, often unique, content into “eternal images,” i.e., eternal images are not absolutely stable and unchanging. Each eternal image has a special central motif, which gives it the corresponding cultural meaning and without which it loses its significance.

One cannot but agree that it is much more interesting for people of a particular era to compare an image with themselves when they themselves find themselves in the same life situations. On the other hand, if an eternal image loses significance for the majority of a social group, this does not mean that it disappears forever from that culture.

Each eternal image can only experience external changes, since the central motive associated with it is the essence that forever assigns a special quality to it, for example, Hamlet has the “fate” of being a philosophizing avenger, Romeo and Juliet - eternal love, Prometheus - humanism. Another thing is that the attitude towards the very essence of the hero can be different in each culture.

Mephistopheles is one of the “eternal images” of world literature. He is the hero of J. V. Goethe’s tragedy “Faust”.

Folklore and fiction from different countries and peoples often used the motive of concluding an alliance between a demon - the spirit of evil and a person. Sometimes poets were attracted by the story of the “fall”, “expulsion from paradise” of the biblical Satan, sometimes by his rebellion against God. There were also farces that were close to folklore sources; in them the devil was given the place of a mischief maker, a cheerful deceiver who often got into trouble. The name "Mephistopheles" has become synonymous with a caustic and evil mocker. This is where the expressions arose: “Mephistophelian laughter, smile” - sarcastic and evil; “Mephistophelian facial expression” - sarcastic and mocking.

Mephistopheles is a fallen angel who has an eternal debate with God about good and evil. He believes that a person is so corrupt that, succumbing to even a slight temptation, he can easily give his soul to him. He is also confident that humanity is not worth saving. Throughout the entire work, Mephistopheles shows that there is nothing sublime in man. He must prove, using the example of Faust, that man is evil. Very often in conversations with Faust, Mephistopheles behaves like a real philosopher who follows human life and its progress with great interest. But this is not his only image. In communication with other heroes of the work, he shows himself from a completely different side. He will never leave his interlocutor behind and will be able to maintain a conversation on any topic. Mephistopheles himself says several times that he does not have absolute power. The main decision always depends on the person, and he can only take advantage of the wrong choice. But he did not force people to sell their souls, to sin, he left the right of choice to everyone. Each person has the opportunity to choose exactly what his conscience and dignity allow him to do. eternal image artistic archetype

It seems to me that the image of Mephistopheles will be relevant at all times, because there will always be something that will tempt humanity.

There are many more examples of eternal images in literature. But they have one thing in common: they all reveal eternal human feelings and aspirations, try to solve eternal problems that torment people of any generation.

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The history of literature knows many cases when the works of a writer were very popular during his lifetime, but time passed and they were forgotten almost forever. There are other examples: the writer was not recognized by his contemporaries, but the real value of his works was discovered by subsequent generations.

But there are very few works in literature whose significance cannot be exaggerated, because they contain images that excite every generation of people, images that inspire the creative search of artists of different times.

Such images are called “eternal” because they are carriers of traits that are always inherent in a person.

Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra lived out his age in poverty and loneliness, although during his lifetime he was known as the author of the talented, vibrant novel Don Quixote. Neither the writer himself nor his contemporaries knew that several centuries would pass, and his heroes would not only not be forgotten, but would become the most “popular Spaniards,” and their compatriots would erect a monument to them. That they will emerge from the novel and live their own independent lives in the works of prose writers and playwrights, poets, artists, composers. Today it is difficult to list

How many works of art were created under the influence of the images of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza: Goya and Picasso, Massenet and Minkus turned to them.

The immortal book was born from the idea of ​​writing a parody and ridiculing the chivalric romances that were so popular in Europe in the 16th century, when Cervantes lived and worked. But the writer’s plan expanded, and contemporary Spain came to life on the pages of the book, and the hero himself changed: from a parody knight he grows into a funny and tragic figure. The conflict of the novel is historically specific (reflects the writer’s contemporary Spain) and universal (because it exists in any country at all times). The essence of the conflict: the collision of ideal norms and ideas about reality with reality itself - not ideal, “earthly”.

The image of Don Quixote has also become eternal due to its universality: always and everywhere there are noble idealists, defenders of goodness and justice, who defend their ideals, but are unable to really assess reality. Even the concept of “quixoticism” arose. It combines a humanistic striving for the ideal, enthusiasm on the one hand, and naivety and eccentricity on the other. Don Quixote's inner education is combined with the comedy of her external manifestations (he is able to fall in love with a simple peasant girl, but sees in her only a noble Beautiful Lady).

The second important eternal image of the novel is the witty and earthly Sancho Panza. He is the complete opposite of Don Quixote, but the heroes are inextricably linked, they are similar to each other in their hopes and disappointments. Cervantes shows with his heroes that reality without ideals is impossible, but they must be based on reality.

A completely different eternal image appears before us in Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. This is a deeply tragic image. Hamlet understands reality well, soberly assesses everything that happens around him, and firmly stands on the side of good against evil. But his tragedy is that he cannot take decisive action and punish evil. His indecisiveness is not a sign of cowardice; he is a brave, outspoken person. His hesitation is a consequence of deep thoughts about the nature of evil. Circumstances require him to kill his father's killer. He hesitates because he perceives this revenge as a manifestation of evil: murder will always remain murder, even when a villain is killed. The image of Hamlet is the image of a person who understands his responsibility in resolving the conflict between good and evil, who stands on the side of good, but his internal moral laws do not allow him to take decisive action. It is no coincidence that this image acquired a special resonance in the 20th century - a time of social upheaval, when each person solved for himself the eternal “Hamlet question”.

Several more examples of “eternal” images can be given: Faust, Mephistopheles, Othello, Romeo and Juliet - they all reveal eternal human feelings and aspirations. And each reader learns from these grievances to understand not only the past, but also the present.