Moscow State University of Design and Technology (Academy Maimonides), Moscow, Russia, tatsas@list.ru
The article provides a comparative analysis of the novels «Pastoral forty-three» by the Dutch writer Simon Vestdijk and «Shepherd and Shepherdess. Modern pastoral» by the Russian author Viktor Astafiev. Both authors took part in World War II, survived it and reflected their impressions in these works. Both writers develop a military theme; in their works, a heroic beginning clashes with the pastoral, which makes this seemingly outdated tradition especially important in the understanding of the harrowing events of the 20th century. While Vestdijk makes an ironic transformation of idyll, Astafiev shows its tragic impossibility in the conditions of an inhuman war.
Astafyev; Vestdijk; novel; genre; the heroic; the pastoral; the idyll
Download textFor citing: Saskova T.V. Time vs eternity: Military pastoral Vestdijk Simon and Victor Astafiev // Human being: Image and essence. Humanitarian aspects. Мoscow, 2019. Vol. 3(38): Lozinskaya, E. (ed.) A human being in the time and space of culture, pp. 43-54. DOI: 10.31249/chel/2019.03.00