The work “Taras Bulba”, the genre of which is the subject of this review, is one of the most famous works of the famous writer N. Gogol. The book was published in 1842 (however, before that it underwent significant editorial revision). The story takes place in the first half of the 17th century, among the Zaporozhye Cossacks.
Historical realities
The work “Taras Bulba”, the genre of which, as a rule, is defined as a historical novel, has some references to specific historical facts of the struggle of the Ukrainian people against the Poles.
So, it is generally accepted that the prototype of the main character was one of the supporters of B. Khmelnitsky, who also had several sons. Working on the manuscript, the writer carefully studied historical sources, in particular, those works that were dedicated to the Zaporozhye Cossacks.
Features
Some researchers see the features of a historical novel in the story “Taras Bulba”. The genre of the work, however, is not so difficult to determine due to the fact that it is quite complex both in design and in plot.
In the book, despite its small volume, there are features of epic literature: this can be seen from the description of scenes of folk life, nature, life of the Cossacks. In some places, the author resorts to a sublime and even somewhat solemn speech that resembles ancient Old Russian legends. This differs from the story in the usual sense of the word the book “Taras Bulba”. The genre of the work is very similar to large historical prose, since in it the story serves not only as a backdrop for action, but is part of the plot itself.
The image of the hero in the context of the historical background
Gogol's focus is on the liberation movement of the Zaporozhye Cossacks, who, with weapons in their hands, oppose the Poles. The main character is an exponent of the national spirit. Therefore, the writer paid so much attention to his character. This character turned out to be so convincing and reliable that it seemed to have come down from the pages of ancient chronicles and annals. According to the famous literary critic V. Belinsky, this hero became the personification of all the best features of the common people of the era in question, which again brings this work closer to a major historical novel.
Plot features
When students study this work in school lessons for students, certain difficulties may raise the question of which genre (“Taras Bulba” is an epic narrative in spirit) in this book.
A small volume and a concise plot give reason to say that this is a story. However, the story told by the author develops against a very epic background of the national liberation movement, which captures large masses of people. In this context, the writer reveals the large-scale events of the past, which cover a wide layer of historical facts. Gogol in his hero embodied entire social strata that were drawn into the war with Poland, and the tragedy that occurred with the main characters is the personification of the drama of an entire people of the time in question.
Idea
The question of which genre of the Taras Bulba work allows us to reveal the author’s idea. Gogol sought to show his heroes in the context of history. Characters are inseparable from current events, they form a single whole with them. Therefore, the actors can not be imagined in a different setting, in a different setting, except in the 17th century. The main idea, which runs through the whole work with a red thread, is the idea of deep patriotism and love for the Motherland. The writer shows her through the behavior of the characters, their speech, as well as actions during the war.
These features give the work a resemblance to a historical epic. In the story, the main scene of the action is wide steppe expanses, which in their description resemble old Russian legends and songs about heroes. The very language that the book is written is very reminiscent of an epic syllable. Therefore, when it comes to the genre of the work “Taras Bulba”, it is always necessary to make a reservation that it is not an ordinary story in the usual sense of the word. When answering this question, it is always necessary to make a reservation that the work is very close in spirit to the folk historical epic.