Formalism also known as new criticism a basic approach to reading and understanding literature armstrong atlantic state university formalist theory has dominated the american literary scene for most of the twentieth century, and it has. This pamphlet can be downloaded as a pdf from the website. Johann stoll caracas, november 2011 slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Opoyaz, an acronym for russian words meaning society for the study of poetic language, founded in 1916 at st. Art as technique by victor shklovsky victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in russian formalism by introducing his literary concept of art as technique, thereby making the notion of defamiliarization as a central tenet of the russian formalism. Defamiliarization in russian literature to illustrate what he means by defamiliarization, shklovsky uses examples from tolstoy, whom he cites as using the technique throughout his works. A reader is a valuable starting point for anyone interested in literary theory, the fate of russian formalism, or the life of an undisciplined critic in russia and the soviet union. Formalism russian a brief but influential 20thcentury critical method that originated in st. Dec 07, 2019 art as a technique by viktor shklovsky.
American new criticism, led by american critics such as john crowe ransom and cleanth brooks. Viktor shklovsky boris eichenbaum roman jakobson vladimir propp yuri. Viktor shklovskys toward a theory of the comic analyzes the problem geometrically. Petersburg, russiadied december 8, 1984, moscow, russian literary critic and novelist. Viktor shklovskys 189 31984 c oncept of ostranenie, or estrangement,1 has become part of the basic vocabulary of literary theory and is familiar even to those who know little about its origins in russian formalism. By then, however, they had produced essays that remain among the best defenses ever written for both literature and its theory. Defamiliarization by nasrullah mambrol on march 17, 2016 4 the russian formalists concept of defamiliarization, proposed by viktor shklovsky in his art as technique, refers to the literary device whereby language is used in such a way that ordinary and familiar objects are made to look different. Art as technique by victor shklovsky bachelorandmaster. Roman jakobson, noveyshaya russkaya poeziya modern russian poetry. A school of literary criticism that emerged in russia around 1915, 3. Arnold schwarzenegger this speech broke the internet and most inspiring speech it changed my life. Defamiliarization project gutenberg selfpublishing.
Victor shklovsky, art as technique born in 1893, victor shklovsky was a leading figure in the school of literary and linguistic theory known as russian formalism, which flourished at the time of the russian revolution. Russian formalism was a literary movement in russia that started in 1915, where literary scholars like victor shklovsky, andrei bely, and potebnya had multiple theoretical aesthetics to how literature can be interpreted. The narrator of kholstomer, for example, is a horse, and it is the horses point of view rather than a persons that makes the content of the. But viktor shklovsky 18931984, enfant terrible of the russian formalists from the second decade of the twentieth century right to the end of his long life another paradox, contests that logic. V iktor shklovsky s name has become synonymous with the russian formalist movement that he helped to found in the early decades of the 20 th century. A prolific author, shklovsky wrote studies of laurence sterne, maxim gorky, and leo tolstoy, as well as several semiautobiographical works. Art as technique 1917 viktor shklovsky art is thinking in images.
Jan 16, 2017 before the twentieth century, most literary theorists tended to view the relation between text and meaning through the prism of history, psychology, symbolism, and literary biography. Important formalists included roman jakobson and viktor shklovsky. According to the russian formalists who coined the term, it is the central concept of art and poetry. He was also associated with the russian army during the 1 st world war. Thus, for example, all of our habits retreat into the area of the unconsciously automatic. What is russian formalism, and what was its effect on. His work was deeply informed by his long and eventful life. He founded opoyaz society for the study of poetic language in the year 1916 which planted the seeds of russian formalism viktor shklovsky opposed bolshevism, a farleft marxist faction. With a series of landmark papers, he taught generations of readers that, in the art of literature, content simply doesnt matter. If we start to examine the general laws of perception, we see that as perception becomes habitual, it becomes automatic. He is one of the major figures associated with russian formalism. They enjoyed that independence until stalin shut them down.
But viktor shklovsky 18931984, enfant terrible of the russian formalists from the second decade of the twentieth century right to the end of. The major figures were victor shklovsky, roman jakobson, boris eikhenbaum, osip. Petersburg, where shklovsky was the leader of the opayaz group. Petersburg through the group opoyaz, and in moscow via the moscow linguistic circle. Aug 23, 2011 viktor shklovsky 18931984 was one of the founders of the intellectual movement we today call russian formalism along with boris eichenbaum, roman jakobson, vladimir propp, yuri tynianov, others.
Viktor shklovsky 18931984 was a leading figure in the russian formalist movement of the 1920s and had a profound effect on twentiethcentury russian literature. The russian formalist, victor shklovsky, reinterprets. On viktor shklovsky joshua cohen november 20, 2007. Viktor shklovskys 1925 book theory of prose might have become the most important work of literary criticism in the twentieth century had not two obstacles barred its way. The logic on view inheres in the root word, familiar.
Russian formalism was a literary movement in russia that started in 1915, where literary scholars like victor shklovsky, andrei bely, and potebnya had multiple theoretical aesthetics to how literature can be. It is excellent in many ways but it is a pity that erlich pretty much reduces viktor shklovsky s importance in the movement. He is best known though for his invention of the concept of ostranenie defamiliarization or estrangement, central to. Sep 16, 2019 art as technique by viktor shklovsky pdf posted on september 16, 2019 by admin victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in russian formalism by introducing his literary concept of art as. A collection of his essays and articles on film was published in literature and cinematographyfirst english edition aadhu rated it liked it may 01, its influence would be widely felt in shkloovsky twentieth century art and literary criticism. Todays idea of humor compels a psychological reading, but russian formalism, which practiced replacing psychology with structure, offers an alternative. Viktor shklovsky 18931984 was a russian literary theorist. It is the first comprehensive book in the west on russian formalism. Before the twentieth century, most literary theorists tended to view the relation between text and meaning through the prism of history, psychology, symbolism, and literary biography. Several of his books have been translated into english, including zoo, or letters not about love, third factory, theory of prose, a sentimental journey, energy of delusion. The lifeblood of literature humor and things related were no laughing matter to the russian formalists, but when it came to art, viktor shklovsky, boris.
Even though several of erlichs conclusions are erroneous this is an important study. Viktor shklovsky, in full viktor borisovich shklovsky, born january 24 january 12, old style, 1893, st. He is one of the major figures associated with russian formalism viktor shklovsky s theory of prose was published in 1925. Viktor shklovsky 18931984 was one of the founders of the intellectual movement we today call russian formalism along with boris eichenbaum, roman jakobson, vladimir propp, yuri tynianov, others. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. V iktor shklovskys name has become synonymous with the russian formalist movement that he helped to found in the early decades of the 20 th century. Mar 17, 2016 defamiliarization by nasrullah mambrol on march 17, 2016 4 the russian formalists concept of defamiliarization, proposed by viktor shklovsky in his art as technique, refers to the literary device whereby language is used in such a way that ordinary and familiar objects are made to look different.
He was born viktor borisovich in saint petersburg in 1893, and died in moscow in 1984. Viktor shklovsky 18931984 was both patriarch and enfant terrible of formalism, a literary and film scholar, a fiction writer and the protagonist of other peoples novels, instructor of an armored division and professor at the art history institute, revolutionary and counterrevolutionary. Victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in russian formalism by. He is best known though for his invention of the concept of ostranenie defamiliarization or estrangement, central to so much of the work of the russian formalists.
The definition of estrangement first appeared in print in shklovsky s essay art as device iskusstvo kak priem i n. Refamiliarizing viktor shklovsky victorian literature and. Sep 03, 2019 art as technique by victor shklovsky victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in vi,tor formalism by introducing his literary concept of art as technique, thereby making the notion of defamiliarization as a central tenet of the russian formalism. Form, rather, is where its atthe defining feature of the literary work and the singular determinant of its. Defamiliarization is one of the key concepts of russian formalism and shklovsky is one of its most important theorists. Viktor shklovsky s 189 31984 c oncept of ostranenie, or estrangement,1 has become part of the basic vocabulary of literary theory and is familiar even to those who know little about its origins in russian formalism. He was a major voice of formalism, a critical school that had great influence in russian literature in the 1920s. Brecht and russian formalism in britain in the 1970s. Art as technique by victor shklovsky victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in vi,tor formalism by introducing his literary concept of art as technique, thereby making the notion of defamiliarization as a central tenet of the russian formalism. Viktor shklovsky boris eichenbaum roman jakobson vladimir propp yuri tynianov understand artworks.
Victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in russian formalism by introducing his literary concept of art as. Russian literary theorist, critic, and writer of experimental. It is excellent in many ways but it is a pity that erlich pretty much reduces viktor shklovskys importance in the movement. Viktor shklovsky russian formalist criticism in literature. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Defamiliarization, his most significant contribution to literary theory, posits that more familiarity with flogging, sex, or the custom of burying.
Formalism, also called russian formalism, russian russky formalism, innovative 20thcentury russian school of literary criticism. The definition of estrangement first appeared in print in shklovskys essay art as device iskusstvo kak priem i n. Tynyanov combined his skills as a historical novelist with formalism to produce, with jakobson, theses on language 1928, read more. Petersburg later leningrad and led by viktor shklovsky. The russian formalists emerged from the russian revolution with ideas about the independence of literature. Modern narrative theory begins with russian formalism in the 1920s, specifically with the work of roman jakobson, yury tynyanov, and viktor shklovsky.
Initially a participant in the russian futurist circle in st petersburg which included david burliuk, vladimir mayakovsky and velimir khlebnikov, viktor shklovsky became an important critic and theorist of art and literature in the 1910s and 1920s in russia. According to the russian formalists who coined the. Formalism also known as new criticism a basic approach to. Shklovsky brings out that there comes a point were perceptions become habitual thus becoming.