One of the most commonly used terms in literary criticism is the author's position. It can be the basis for the theme of an essay, article, abstract or essay. The authorâs position in the text needs to be seen and understood as it is expressed.
Term transformation
It should be said that the authorâs position throughout the development of literature underwent a number of qualitative changes. At the very beginning of the emergence of mass literature (that is, when literature as a form of art separated from folklore, ceased to be political or religious in nature), the authorâs assessment was expressed directly in the work. The author could openly talk about which hero seemed positive or negative to him, expressed his attitude to what was happening in the retreats, in the conclusions. Over time, this method of the authorâs presence in the text became unacceptable, the creator of the text began to withdraw, allowing the reader to decide for himself on whose side. This process was especially aggravated in the 20th century, this phenomenon was called by R. Bart "the death of the author." However, not all researchers agree with him, noting that the author in any case assesses the situation, expresses his opinion, he just does it in a hidden, veiled way using different means.
Ways of expressing the author's position in drama, lyrics and epic
Depending on the type of literature and the genre of the work, the way expressions are expressed may vary. The most difficult task is for writers who work with plays or poems, because they are more limited in scope and in the choice of means.
Drama
An author creating a dramatic work must be a true master of the word. Indeed, in his arsenal there are only replicas of heroes. Through speech, he must show the character of his character. He himself is present in the text only at the level of remarks. Remarks are one of the ways to express the authorâs position in the text. Consider the drama of M. Gorky's "At the bottom." The authorâs position in relation to the residents of the rooming house and the current situation is obvious: extensive remarks at the beginning of each act show us terrifying pictures of the situation.
These are
shabby walls, overhanging ceilings, ragged sheets, a bunch of people who are indifferent to each other. Another important means of the authorâs assessment is speaking surnames. This technique was especially actively used in the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, in Griboedovâs play âWoe from Witâ, the heroes are Famusov, Molchalin, Skalozub. Famusov is a surname derived from the English "family", which means "famous." Molchalin really tries to remain silent, so as not to say too much and not to lose hope of getting another rank. The puffer is always friendly and deliberately courteous. The authorâs position in the drama is also expressed by introducing into the canvas the works of the hero-resonator. This character embodies the main ideas of the author. For example, in the drama by A. N. Ostrovsky "The Storm", Kuligin acts as such a hero. It is he who expresses his attitude to the provincial city of Kalinov: "Cruel mores, sir, in your city."
Lyrics
In a poem, the authorâs position can be represented on two levels: on the semantic and on the linguistic, external. Any lyric work is filled with feeling, in addition, the poems for the most part are the embodiment of copyright emotions. It is no coincidence that poets are often associated with their lyrical heroes. At the linguistic level, the authorâs position can be represented with the help of epithets, personifications, metaphors, antitheses, and author neologisms. Consider the poem of the "Factory" Block. The symbolist poet expresses his attitude to what is happening through a gloomy color scheme; he intentionally writes the word "yellow" unconventionally. This increases the tension, gives the verses a special rigidity.
Epos
In the epic, the authorâs position is much more important than in the lyrics. Indeed, in the center of the image of the epic work is any problem: philosophical, moral, social or political. The more discreet and unobtrusive the authorâs opinion, the better the text looks.
The expression of the authorâs position is easiest to consider using the example of a Russian novel. One of the most popular ways that Leo Tolstoy resorted to in his work is lyrical digressions. Such digressions depict landscapes, discussions about important issues of life . In the lyrical digression, the writerâs opinion is expressed almost directly, but it is not always possible to understand without much thought. An example is the ending of Turgenev's novel Fathers and Sons. Turgenev paints us with the picturesque nature that surrounds the grave of Bazarov. Thus, the author shows that Bazarovâs ideas were wrong, the hero was too mistaken when he called this beautiful creation of God a workshop in which a person is a worker.
It happens that the authorâs position is present only at the level of symbolism. Writers resort to the symbolism of names, colors, numbers. From this point of view, the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky âCrime and Punishmentâ looks very interesting .
The author is eliminated in the text, which is why Bakhtin called it polyphonic. Indeed, in the text there is a mass of votes, opinions and ratings, among which the authorâs can hardly be distinguished. However, everything in the novel suggests that it was most important for Dostoevsky to carry out the Gospel idea that the life of every person is valuable, that it is impossible to break God's main commandment neither for the sake of the idea, nor for the sake of money, nor for the sake of good goals. Actively Dostoevsky attracts characters of various levels. The very name of the protagonist is considered by researchers from different perspectives, one of which recalls the schism that occurred in the history of the Russian Church. Multiple repetition of the numbers 7, 3 again refers us to the religious books. 7 days it took the Lord to create this world, 3 - a sacred number for Christians, symbolizing God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit.
conclusions
Thus, copyright positions are important for understanding the ideological concept of works. They can be expressed in different ways. when reading works, attention should be paid, first of all, to the surnames and names of the characters, the details that are mentioned in the text, the clothes of the characters, their portrait characteristics. It is also worth paying special attention to landscape sketches and lyrical digressions.