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UOT 82-95
AESTHETIC THEORY IN LITERARY CRITICISM
(ANALYSIS OF AESTHETIC CRITERION IN LITERARY CRITIQUE)
VALIDA S. KARIMOVA (PHD.C IN GERMANIC LANGUAGES)
School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Research Assistant)
Khazar University. Baku, Azerbaijan
e-mail address:
kerimovavalide@yahoo.com
Keywords: purpose, aesthetic theory, artistry, public importance of the work, literary critique, critics
and writers.
Philosophical and aesthetic level produces aesthetic appreciation which is part of the
artistic appreciation. The author analyses the work based on a system of her aesthetic views,
taking into account the scale of her value system.
The philosophical and aesthetic problematic is functionally identical in literary criticism to
the aesthetic one: it is a way of systematization of knowledge about the essence and the universal
laws of art and serves as a theoretical foundation of art reflection (the term in its broader
definition). Analyzing the literary-critical articles for the period from 1868 to 1880, we
concluded that the aesthetic attitude is much clearer in its relation to the concept of "artistry".
Why do we so rarely find judgments on the concept of "artistry" in the criticism ? Arguing about
contemporary art, and especially the criticism, expressed the following idea: "We should be very
careful with the word "artistry". The true works of art are as rare as great writers, so talking
about artistry concerning the first available novel means little respect for the art.
Our research, however, proves the opposite - the critics have paid much attention to the
artistic side of the works, based on their own ideas about artistry. The idea expressed by the
author does not mean that the work which is not "artistic" enough is not worthy. Critics
appreciate the social meaning and content in it. By the way, author was enthusiastic about the
ideas of Herzen and Chernyshevsky, and was in solidarity with them in understanding the role of
literature as a reflection of social life.
The author said that currently the aesthetic criticism is nothing else than the susceptibility
to the imaginary artistry; the necessity of another critical direction is explained by the critic as
the public need which requires more research about society, not about the imaginary artistry: "...
the smaller volume of purely aesthetic criticism is now more in line with the available volume of
works of art and also shows that in the society there is more need for a different kind of critical
research - more direct study of society, and probably, less susceptibility to imaginary artistry ..."
Thus, the reality requires the direct studies of society - and this should be the main reference
point for writers. The need for the domination of public thought in literary work is due to the
requirements of the time.
The author talks about the new criticism, its new role and the challenge conditioned by the
modern development, thus determining its aesthetic position: "In the field of literature, criticism
is now more than ever sticking to the historical point of view, and much more specific than in the
days of V.G. Belinsky: “…it is an acquisition, and, moreover, absolutely positive, made by the
new literature. If the criticism is less engaged in the beauty of works of art than before, then we
have already indicated the cause of it...” The critic comes to the idea of a generic "degeneration"
of the criticism: "...when the artistic side of the issue has been brought to its present limits, the
"study of life", which was done primarily on the basis of works of art, took a different route: the
direct ethnographic, economic, legal studies discover now much more in this life than modern
art discovers…" At the same time critic stipulates that such a position does not mean disrespect
to the field of art, the non-recognition of its ideal and educational value. We believe on the
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contrary that the new criticism appreciates art too highly to reckon among it every just tolerable
story, tale or novel; it is supposed by the critics with Belinsky, that the word "art" should not be
misunderstood - as it's too often done to this day. Referring again to Belinsky and his influence,
writer, clarifying artistic policy, the new role and purpose of criticism is to assess the phenomena
of life, not just artistic amenities of the work, which among other things are also so rare. In
addition, criticism should not focus only on the fictions and belles lettres, the critic extends the
concept of criticism itself, evaluating the entire life. The author spokes about the homogeneity of
the "new criticism" with Belinsky's criticism, about the continuity of the revolutionary -
democratic critics of the 60s (author sympathized with representatives of the "negative
direction", whose representatives were Chernyshevsky, Dobrolyubov and Saltykov-Shchedrin [5,
p. 48]) and criticism of Belinsky. The idea of social orientation of the best examples of the
literary-critical legacy is established. Researcher concluded that, Belinsky as a link between the
ideas of the 40s and 60s. The researcher rightly noted that the comparative historical values of
the heritage of '40s and '60s was decided in the magazine in numerous historical and literary
works of Pypin and critical articles of E. Utin, K.K. Arsenyev. It is important that for its time it
was the most progressive point of view and it was thoroughly discussed in literary criticism of
the magazine [5, p. 50].
Critics recognized such an approach to a literary work when "readers and criticis m
followed the movement of life itself, the explicit desire of "creativity", had become much more
sensitive, intelligent and demanding, in particular, to the public side of the "art" works, and even
in the absence of anything particularly remarkable aesthetically (there were really not so many
wonderful things of this kind), were interested also in the works, less important in the aesthetic
sense, but new and challenging in the public sense [5, p. 419]. Thus, the critics recognized the
public aspect of the work as a greater value, rather than the aesthetic, in fact, the artistic one.
Critics call "to peer closer to the real meaning of the literary images" and do not imagine
himself/herself surrounded by aesthetic wealth [ibid, p. 420]. As soon as the "litera ture learned
to speak directly about the case, and not walk in the idealist abstractions", it taught "rather
appreciate the poetic property" [ibid].
Researcher states that in the years since Belinsky, aesthetic taste has changed considerably,
because the conditions of literature existence changed, as well as the role of criticism changed,
its place in the magazine, "the fiction followed the life, and were more and more turning to
objects of public nature. In the past decade it had no talents equal to Pus hkin, Lermontov, Gogol,
but in this direct public description, it certainly moves on ... Critic defends contemporary art and
criticism, not agreeing with the opinion of their decline and degeneration. The modern aesthetic
thought which was defined by the critics and thinkers is significantly different from the previous
ideals, as the very public development is faster, and communication of contemporary works with
life, the description in the literature of social issues, and directly, a certain view of modern
writers are far more important. The modern ideal is not an empty idealization, it "dominates the
thought and feeling of the writer and the reader in a philosophical treatise, political and
economic judgment, satirical essay, and "internal review"" [ibid, p. 418], that is, the critic proves
that criticism is not in a state of decline, it simply meets the modern requirements and
conditions, and in accordance with the tendency of literature towards the “publicisticness”, the
boundaries between art and non-art, criticism and other materials and publications in the
magazine are largely blurred. And it is not the decline and lack of ideals, it is a new level. This
concept of writer is very important for understanding of not only artistic policy, but also
"identity" in general. After analyzing the literary-critique, we can also talk about the object and
sources of content in art for critics. According to critics, artistic truth in a work is one of the
most important reference points for the writer, and the ideological and semantic analysis of the
work lies at the heart of the creative method. "We much more prefer the work with a profound
thought and a serious idea, and the presence of this idea makes the work particularly precious for
us; but we think, where the life and truth are, there is an idea, sometimes it is not very abundant,
but there are not so many abundant ideas in general. Art cannot be framed in some rules or
Valida S. Karimova