Ages, Stages and the Culture of Ageing in War and Peace

Jane Gary Harris

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Ages, Stages and the Culture of Ageing in War and Peace

于Tolstoi and the Evolution of His Artistic World

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Jane Gary Harris

Jane Gary Harris
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类型:: 章节

Page Range:: 140–160

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004465633_008

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Abstract

This chapter offers an analysis, based on War and Peace, of the way in which Tolstoi, still in his thirties, anticipated later aspects of the human path through life. Harris takes as her starting point the premise that age as a category of analysis deserves more attention. In particular, she notes that, while the complexity and unpredictability of ageing have been noted by developmental theorists, it has been mostly ignored by literary and cultural theorists. Stemming from these principles, the chapter examines Tolstoi’s epistemological, existential, and aesthetic analyses in his representation of the various older characters in his novel. Both implicitly and explicitly Tolstoi poses some fundamental questions: ‘what is old, what is ageing; how does one know, recognize, understand, and respond to such categories?’ In the course of her discussion, Harris considers many literary aspects to help us understand Tolstoi’s representation of ageing in War and Peace. Amongst these are familiar ‘stand-bys’ of literary characterization, including physical description, observations of behaviour, dialogue, ageing as a topic of conversation, and more besides. Tolstoi shows a clear awareness of gender differences in the ageing process, as well as a surprisingly modern understanding of both dementia and obsessive-compulsive behaviour. In addition, he shows a keen awareness of the highly complex psychology and physiology of an ordinary old person’s consciousness. In contrast to his predecessors, his older characters are numerous and varied in background, gender, and ability. As a result, the ageing process is apprehended as no less diverse a category than any other ordinary life process. That is, Harris suggests, he is as acutely aware of the dynamism in his ageing characters as in his youthful heroes.

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Tolstoi and the Evolution of His Artistic World

丛编： Studies in Slavic Literature and Poetics, 卷： 64and Studies in Slavic Literature and Poetics Online, 卷： 64

ISBN:: 9789004465633

出版社:: Brill

印刷出版日期:: 23 Jul 2021

Subjects
- Literature and Cultural Studies
- Slavic and Eurasian Studies
  - Literature & Linguistics

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Ages, Stages and the Culture of Ageing in War and Peace

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Tolstoi and the Evolution of His Artistic World

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