Defamiliarization and the unprompted not innocent eye. Eikhenbaums dependency on core ideas of marxist and darwinian philosophies of struggle and evolution is explained. Some of its concepts are still in use today in literary criticism. What is russian formalism, and what was its effect on.
Two modern examples of the literary strategy of defamiliarization are james joyces stream of consciousness writing, and the use of magical realism by gabriel garcia marquez in his novels. Russian formalism second edition 2005 russian formalism is the name for a group of literary scholars and linguists who between 1916 and 1929, while most were still in their twenties, developed a series of innovative theoretical concepts, claims, models, and methodological norms concerning various aspects of the literary system and its study. In the preface to her book of interviews with viktor shklovsky, the italian writer and translator serena vitale describes her third meeting with the aged founder of russian formalism still. If we start to examine the general laws of perception, we see that as perception becomes habitual, it becomes automatic.
Such habituation explains the principles by which, in ordinary speech, we leave phrases unfinished and words half. A term used by the russian formalist viktor shklovsky to describe the capacity of art to counter the deadening effect of habit and convention by investing the familiar with strangeness and thereby deautomatizing perception. A survey of recent empirical studies of literary comprehension shows that little attention has been paid to the effects of literary style, often known as foregrounding. According to the russian formalists who coined the term, it is the central concept of art and poetry.
For a fuller account, consult peter steiner, russian formalism 1984. Russian formalism and defamiliarization on world literature. Most leaders dont even know the game theyre in simon sinek at live2lead 2016 duration. Rediscovered in the west in the 1960s, the work of the russian formalists has had an important influence on structuralist theories of literature, and on some of the more recent varieties of marxist literary criticism. Defamiliarization distancing effect of bertolt brecht. Defamiliarization defamiliarization of that which is or has become familiar automatically perceived is the basic use of literary language. But jameson, in his lucid analysis of formalism s pitfalls and relevance, goes even further.
Victor shklovskys 1914 essay on futurist poetry, the resurrection of the word marked the beginning of russian formalism. Literary criticism 336 eng iirussian formalism dr mohammed fahmy raiayh 2. Shelley in defence of poetry 1840, and of several modern formalist critics, it is a distinctive feature of literature, especially poetry, that it tears away what shelley called the veil of familiarity. Defamiliarization pangborn major reference works wiley. Russian literature from 1750 onwards and on the basis of this corpus. Viktor shklovsky 18931984 was a russian literary theorist. A commentary on defamiliarization midway word that through some of part the i of lilliputians gullivers have travels found, gulliver a great receives black word that some of the lilliputians have found a great black substance. The definition of estrangement first appeared in print in shklovskys essay art as device iskusstvo kak priem i n 1916.
Defamiliarization is a literary technique in which the process of writing is itself focused on more than any particular plotline. The initial perspective was aestheticist, ahistorical, reductive, and mechanistic and is associated with the early shklovskii. The process by which literary works unsettle readers habitual ways of seeing the world. Along with literariness, the most important concept of the school was that of defamiliarization. Russian formalism was probably the first school in literary theory that looked at poetry and literature in general as true linguistic phenomena. One of its representatives, viktor shklovsky coined the term defamiliarization ostranenie in russian. He founded opoyaz society for the study of poetic language in the year 1916 which planted the seeds of. The possibilities of socialpsychological methodology as applied to national specificity of research activity in russia are examined. What are the major differences between russian formalism and. One of the key concepts of russian formalism is defamiliarization. Russian formalism influenced the literary theory of structuralism. Viktor shklovsky, who is a theorist of russian formalism, has pointed out that the technique of art is to.
Russian formalism the johns hopkins guide to literary. He founded opoyaz society for the study of poetic language in the year 1916 which planted the seeds of russian formalism. Verfremdung in german, which refers to the intentional deviation from practical, everyday language in poetry and literature. He was also associated with the russian army during the 1 st world war. It is a school of literary criticism that originated in the former russia around 1915. With a series of landmark papers, he taught generations of readers that, in the art of literature, content simply doesnt matter. Russian formalism challenged the traditional idea of critical literary analysis that art should conceal its literary devices. 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. First he points out that defamiliarization is a way of differentiating art manifestations from any other modes of expression. Formalism, innovative 20thcentury russian school of literary criticism. He argued that defamiliarization is, more or less, the point of all art.
Jun 11, 2014 this is a picture of viktor shklovsky, one of the main voices behind a way of thinking about literature that today is known as russian formalism. By nasrullah mambrol on march 17, 2016 3 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. Russian formalism was a literary movement a school of literary criticism that emerged in former soviet union in early phase of 20 th century. Important formalists included roman jakobson and viktor shklovsky. In this essay, shklovsky defines estrangement in the following terms. The new critics and the russian formalists underpin all of the immense range of topics, ideas, and considerations in the field of literary theory in the twentieth century. Viktor shklovsky russian formalist criticism in literature.
Art as technique, defamiliarization, jan mukarovsky, r, roman jakobson, russian formalism, viktor shklovsky. In his pioneering study, russian formalism first edition in 1955, victor erlich translates ostranenie as the device of making it strange 177. The opojaz group, the society for the study of poetic language pomorska. Russian formalism is a school of literary criticism formed in russia that became highly influential in the early decades of the 1900s. Aesthetic and rhetorical modes of experiencing television michael b. 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. Viktor shkolvskys critical writing was the most prominent work of russian formalism. Russian formalism emerged in the opening decades of the twentieth century as a reaction to the mystification of literature found in the influential paneuropean arts movement of symbolism. The russian formalists concept of defamiliarization, proposed by. Mar 19, 2020 it is left to the writers to find new approaches to defamiliarization. Viktor shklovsky boris eichenbaum roman jakobson vladimir propp yuri tynianov understand artworks. Apr 06, 2012 literary criticism, ii, russian formalism 1. Form, rather, is where its atthe defining feature of the literary work and the singular determinant of its.
Its central tenant is that the text of the writers work should be the focus of any inquiry or criticism regarding the work. He was a major voice of formalism, a critical school that had great influence in russian literature in the 1920s. Art as technique 1917 viktor shklovsky art is thinking in images. Define defamiliarization, stream of consciousness, reflexive novel, and writerly give examples of defamiliarization in literature to unlock this lesson you must be a member. Defamiliarization theory, as an important concept of the russian formalism, was first proposed by victor shklovsky 18931984 in1917. The word defamiliarization was coined by the early 20thcentury russian literary critic viktor shklovsky in his essay art as technique. Formalism is a school of literary criticism that originated in the former soviet union during the first world war. Imagery as a predominant feature of a literary text as well as a poetic one has always been in the focus of investigation of the poetics of fiction. Linguostylistic and cognitive aspect of defamiliarization in literary texts. Russian formalism was an influential school of literary criticism in russia from the 1910s to the 1930s. Opoyaz, an acronym for russian words meaning society for the study of poetic language, founded in 1916 at st. Brecht and russian formalism in britain in the 1970s.
A personal history in 1977, i wrote a college thesis about michelangelo antonioni. A school of literary criticism that emerged in russia around 1915, 3. What are the major differences between russian formalism. The term defamiliarization was coined by victor shklovsky, one of the most accomplished practitioners of russian formalism in his dawn breaking essay art as technique. Get an answer for what are the features of russian formalism. Russian formalism s major contributions can be approached in terms of basic perspectives and major research areas. Formalism s scientific language and methodical aspirations are discussed. The art of defamiliarization one of the concepts of formalism is defamiliarization, which victor shklovsky argues makes objects, unfamiliar to make forms difficult to increase the difficulty and length of perception because the process of perception is an aesthetic end in itself and must be prolonged 16. Defamiliarization is an old concept, stemming from russian formalism which can be placed in the period between 1915 and 1930 approximately. Formalism is a literary theory that was spearheaded by two main bodies russian formalists and new critics which focused on understanding the literary text through the text itself. According to russian formalism, poetry is the quintessential form of literary language, as it presents speech organized in its entire phonic structure, which deforms practical language to draw attention to itself.
He begins by distinguishing russian formalism from hermeneutics. Examining formalism in light of more recent developments in literary theory, peter steiner here offers the most comprehensive critique of formalism to date. The initial perspective was aestheticist, ahistorical, reductive, and mechanistic and is. In other words, the difference between potebnyas point of. 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. Viktor shklovsky, who is a theorist of russian formalism, has pointed out that the technique of art is to make objects unfamiliar, to make forms difficult, to increase the. Form and content according to russian formalism, to understand literature one has to look at the form as well as the content. Russian formalism was a school of literary criticism in russia from the 1910s to the 1930s. He is one of the major figures associated with russian formalism viktor shklovskys theory of prose was published in 1925.
Pdf the presentation explicates the school of theory and analysis which emerged around 1915 in russia and. It includes the work of a number of highly influential russian and soviet scholars such as viktor shklovsky, yuri tynianov, vladimir propp, boris eichenbaum, roman jakobson, boris tomashevsky, grigory gukovsky who revolutionised literary criticism between 1914 and the 1930s by establishing the. The essential point for the verification of a hypothesis of. Kuntakas theory of vakrokti and russian formalism consider that a certain obliqueness or indirection or defamiliarization is the most distinguishing characteristic. Mar 17, 2016 defamiliarization by nasrullah mambrol on march 17, 2016 3 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. Jul 21, 2019 art as technique by viktor shklovsky pdf victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in russian formalism by introducing his literary concept of. Victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in russian formalism. Jan 24, 20 formalism is a literary theory that was spearheaded by two main bodies russian formalists and new critics which focused on understanding the literary text through the text itself. According to this theory, literary creation should be aimed at achieving the effect of defamiliarization, which means to employ all kinds of devices to make the familiar objects unfamiliar to the readers so as. Shklovskys work pushes russian formalism towards understanding literary activity as integral parts of social practice, an idea that becomes important in the work of mikhail bakhtin and russian and prague school scholars of semiotics. Russian formalists advocated a scientific method for studying poetic language, to the exclusion of traditional psychological and culturalhistorical approaches. Russian formalism, one of the twentieth centurys most important movements in literary criticism, has received far less attention than most of its rivals. View defamiliarization distancing effect of bertolt brecht research papers on academia.
Fueled by illusions of scholarship, i attempted to evaluate this great italian filmmaker through the lens of russian formalist literary criticism. Unlike the symbolists he tried to perceive and define the techniques which are. According to russian formalism defamiliarization is the basic function of all devices 1987. Formalism russian a brief but influential 20thcentury critical method that originated in st. By nasrullah mambrol on march 17, 2016 10 russian formalism, which emerged around 1915 and flourished in the 1920s, was associated with the opojaz society for the study of poetic language and with the moscow linguistic society one of the leading figures of which was roman jakobson and read more. Russian formalism is distinctive for its emphasis on the functional role of literary devices and its original conception of literary history. Whereas symbolism thought of literature as a means to apprehend a universal truth a truth that could only be revealed by. How does it differ from other formalistic ideology. Russian formalism quick reference a school of literary theory and analysis that emerged in russia around 1915, devoting itself to the study of literariness, i.
I personally feel that defamiliarization is found almost everywhere form is found. Defamiliarization is not simply a question of perception. Petersburg, russiadied december 8, 1984, moscow, russian literary critic and novelist. Automatization swallows up things, clothing, furniture, ones wife, and the fear of war. Pdf permanent defamiliarization as rhetorical device or. Defamiliarization by nasrullah mambrol on march 17, 2016 3 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. Its principles posed a great shift from the traditional approaches during its time, and so it sparked a movement in the field of literary studies. Shklovsky, widely viewed as the founder of russian formalism, identifies defamiliarization as the artistic technique able, in his famous example. The formalist school of thought refused to naturalize text by attributing it to the state of mind of the author, but instead it focused its critical writing on. Defamiliarization comprises both the slowing down and the increased difficulty impeding of the process of reading and comprehending and an awareness of the literary procedures devices. Defamiliarization is a core concept of russian formalism.
The attempt of this school was to make the study of literature more scientific in nature. One of his most attractive concepts was the notion of defamiliarization. The art of defamiliarization in adgar allan poes short. Art and literature have the ability to make us see the world anew to make that which has become familiar, because we have been overexposed to it, strange again. 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. Four essays, second edition regents critics by lee t. Get an answer for what is russian formalism, and what was its effect on literature. Engl 300 lecture 7 russian formalism open yale courses. Petersburg later leningrad and led by viktor shklovsky. It had its heyday in the 1920s and it acquired its name from its emphasis on form rather than on content. Crucial formalist distinctions between plot and story, practical and poetic language. Russian formalism is the european counterpart of the angloamerican new criticism.
Defamiliarization project gutenberg selfpublishing. Application of the concept of defamiliarization in. The presentation explicates the school of theory and analysis which emerged around 1915 in russia and aimed teo create the science of literature. Art makes language strange, as well as the world that the language presents. The influence of russian formalism on twentiethcentury art and culture is largely due to the literary technique of defamiliarization or making strange, and has also been linked to freuds notion of the uncanny. Viktor shklovsky, in full viktor borisovich shklovsky, born january 24 january 12, old style, 1893, st. It is a process of transformation where language asserts its power to affect our perception. If you have a serious interest in literature or literary theory, this is an invaluable resource. Defamiliarization is viewed as one of the ways of creating such imagery in the text.
Art as technique by viktor shklovsky pdf victor shklovosky, a founder of the opayaz group in russia, occupies a significant position in russian formalism. Petersburg through the group opoyaz, and in moscow via the moscow linguistic circle. If the entire complex life of many people passes by unconsciously. Woal introduction the idea of defamiliarization originated with the russian formalist critic victor shklovsky as a formula to characterize aesthetic discourse and set it apart from nonart. Art as technique shklovsky pdf art as technique by victor shklovsky. His aim was to define the techniques of art which writers employed to produce specific effects.
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