The Concept of Soul in The Poetics of L.N. Tolstoy's Novel «Resurrection»

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Conflictology, Institute of Social and Philosophical Sciences and Mass Communications, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University

2 Department of Russian and Foreign Literature, Head of the REC "Center for the Study of Leo Tolstoy Heritage", Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication, Kazan Federal University

3 Department of Television Production and Digital Communications, Head of the Press Service at the Institute of Social and Philosophical Sciences and Mass Communications of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University

4 Department of Philology at the Birsk Branch of the Bashkir State University

Abstract

However, among all the works by L.N. Tolstoy the novel "Resurrection" occupies an exceptional place in this aspect. The authors of the article proceed from the fact that the "Resurrection" shows the fall, awakening and salvation of two souls: Nekhlyudov and Katyusha Maslova. L.N. Tolstoy shows the complex, painful process of the soul resurrection, cleansing it of filth, gaining a new spiritual dimension. The concept of the soul in the novel is not at all autonomous. It correlates with the writer's thoughts reflected in numerous diary entries. Thus, it expresses the author's views on the soul problem. This view is closely related to certain features of Russian culture as an integral system. The constituent elements of the Russian understanding of soul are "conscience", "God", "world", and "man". Tolstoy's assessment of the soul is a special version of the traditional Russian attitude to the soul as an important part of the spiritual origin in a person.

Keywords