E. L. Doctorow’s Creative Method Evolution

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31861/pytlit2022.106.051

Keywords:

evolution, method of creating, E. L. Doctorow, types of narration, self-commentary, comparative method

Abstract

Edgar Lawrence Doctorow (1931–2015) is the American prose writer, in the literary heritage of whom one finds 12 novels, 4 of which had screen versions, 3 volumes of short stories and 1 stage drama, an editor and a scientist. The writer provided more than once a self-commentary to his creative works, his interviews became the indispensable source of his works’ understanding. Doctorow consistently wrestled the traditional approach to literature. Many a researcher turned to his literary heritage. The examination of the Doctorow’s creative method evolution was carried out in two stages. First the main characteristic features of the literary works were singled out, later on by means of the comparative method the two main novels “Ragtime” and “Loon’s Lake” correlation from the point of view of the writer’s depiction evolution was carried out. The characteristic features of the novels are violated chronology, combining of reality with the invented, depicting the protagonists at the moment of the greatest changes, different arts genres fusion manifested in style, excessive fascination with the naturalistic details. The novel “Ragtime” is an objective, author’s narration, “Loon Lake” is the monologue of the I-form narrator. In “Ragtime” the prose writer combined the style of “new journalism” with “retro”. “Loon Lake” is an attempt to create the main image, render the inexhaustibility of the plenitude of life. In the novel “Ragtime” literature is melted with music, whereas in “Loon Lake” prose is melted with poetry of vers libre.

Author Biographies

Lesia Hladkoskok, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

Department of Foreign Languages for the Colleges of Humanitarian Sciences

Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

2 Kotsiubynsky str., 58002, Chernivtsi, Ukraine

Iryna Muradkhanian, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

Department of Foreign Languages for the Colleges of Humanitarian Sciences

Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

2 Kotsiubynsky str., 58002, Chernivtsi, Ukraine

Halyna Semen

Chernivtsi, Ukraine

References

Anastasiev, M. (1982). Tekst romanu i kontekst literatury [Text of the novel and literary context]. Vsesvit, no. 2, pp. 144–147. (in Ukrainian).

Doctorow, E. L. (1982). Pro sebe i pro literaturnu tvorchist’ [About himself and his literary activity]. Vsesvit, no. 1, pp. 150–153. (in Ukrainian).

Doctorow, E. L. (1984). Ozero Hahary [Loon Lake]. Translated from the English by M. Pinchevsky. Kyiv : Dnipro, 230 p. (in Ukrainian).

Doctorow, E. L. (1986). Mify obshchestva [The myths of the society]. Literaturnaia gazeta, 24 September, no. 39, p. 15. (in Russian).

Doctorow, E. L. (1988a). Zhizn’ poetov [The Life of the Poets]. Translated from the English by V. Voronin. Inostrannaia literatura, no. 5, pp. 103–145. (in Russian).

Doctorow, E. L. (1988b). Pafos nashego prizvaniia [The Pathos of our Vocation]. Translated from the English by M. Dubrovska. Inostrannaia literatura, no. 2, pp. 218–282. (in Russian).

Doctorow, E. L. (2004). Dom na ravnine [A House on the Plains]. Translated from the English by O. Feedoseeva. Inostrannaia literatura, no. 10, pp. 54–70. (in Russian).

Zasursky, Ya. (1978). Populiarnyi roman i muzyka istorii [Popular novel and music of history]. Inostrannaia literatura, no. 10, pp. 182–185. (in Russian).

Zverev, A. (1988). Neobkhodimyi skepsis [Necessary skeptisism]. Inostrannaia literatura, no. 2, pp. 227–233. (in Russian).

Zverev, A. (1990). Postigaia “intraistoriiu” [Mastering “intrahistory”]. In: Doctorow, E. L. Vsemirnaia vystavka. Moscow : Raduga, pp. 330–334. (in Russian).

Zverev, A. (1984). Pisliamova [The afterword]. In: Doctorow, E. L. Ozero Hahary. Translated from the English by M. Pinchevsky. Kyiv : Dnipro, pp. 222–229. (in Ukrainian).

Koroleva, I. and Sheinker, V. (1985). Roman E. L. Doktorou “Regtaim” i muzyka [E. L. Doctorow’s novel “Ragtime” and music]. In: Natsional’naia spetsifika proizvedenii zarubezhnoi literatury XIX–XX vekov. Ivanovo : Ivanovskii GU, pp. 142–153. (in Russian).

Pinchevsky, M. (1982). Sumna istoriia (notatky perekladacha) [A sad story (notes of the translator)]. Vsesvit, no. 2, pp. 147–149. (in Ukrainian).

Tkachenko, A. (1992). Legendy real’nosti [Legends of reality]. Iunost’, no. 3, pp. 80–81. (in Russian).

Doctorow, E. L. (2003). Ragtime. Kharkiv : Ranok – NT, 320 p.

Published

2022-12-30

How to Cite

Hladkoskok, L., I. Muradkhanian, and H. Semen. “E. L. Doctorow’s Creative Method Evolution”. Pitannâ lìteraturoznavstva, no. 106, Dec. 2022, pp. 51-63, doi:10.31861/pytlit2022.106.051.

Issue

Section

History of Literature