Probing Into Romantic Factors In Tolstoy's Views Of Literature

Lev Tolstoy was a Russian great writer, as well as a theorist of literature in the 1900s. Traditionally we regard him only as a great critical realist, focus more on his realism than on his romanticism in his creation. In fact, a very important feature of the 19th- century Russian literature was the combination of realism and romanticism. This thesis deals with Tolstoy's views of literature and art and his romantic creation from two aspects. Parts 1—4 deal with the concrete expressions of romantic factors in Tolstoy's views of literature and art from four angles.Firstly, he emphasized the importance of subjective emotions in romantic works. He determined the essence of art as the transmission and exchange of feelings and regarded the appeal of artistic emotions as an important criterion to judge artistic works, which is in agreement with the emphasis of subjective emotions in romantic works.Secondly, Tolstoy tried to establish his idealized society based on Christianity, where no exploitation and tyrannical rule were found. The Utopian of romantic romanticism can't be politically analyzed.Thirdly, Tolstoy carried forward Rousseau's and Stowe's tradition of advocating of nature. In his works, he sang the praises of nature, considering nature as the source of moral power and contrasting the beauty of nature with the ugliness of the capitalist society.Lastly, Tolstoy advocated folk literature. In the 1880s, when his world outlook was completely changed, he earnestly practiced what he had been advocating and created many folk tales and fables. In many of his novels, elements of folk literature constituted a great part.Part 5 deals with the relationship between his romanticism and realism. As an outstanding realistic writer, Tolstoy's realism outweighed his romanticism. What's more, both were unified.Just because of Tolstoy's combination of realism and romanticism, his works can be handed down from generation to generation. Therefore, we cannot believe that only the " pure " realism that excludes any romantic elements is the orthodox school. All in all, as Tolstoy is regarded as a giant in world literature, we should not only inherit his romantic spirit but also dig out it in his works.