Author Archives: Shandiin Largo

Imagery in Alexander Pushkin’s “The Bronze Horseman”

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In reading Alexander Pushkin’s The Bronze Horseman, I find that the story carries on in an effortless, intriguing way with the help of Pushkin’s use of imagery. Pushkin’s retelling of St. Petersburg’s transition from a swamp to a thriving city makes for a magnetic and immersive experience for the reader. Specifically, his personifications of nature (rivers, fog, dark forests, sun rays) continues to build upon a different perspective founded in ecocentrism and creativity as he intertwines the beauty of nature to highlight the industrialization of St. Petersburg. In this way, his ideas and descriptions further complement his portrayal of contemporary Russia (for his time).

On a similar note, his use of specificity– like Yevgeny, Parasha, and Neva, and Mars Field, as well as referencing different works–strengthens  the reader’s understanding of St. Petersburg that wouldn’t necessarily stand out in any other context. I think Pushkin’s allusions to events and places within his work also helps to bring a stronger connection with the reader. In a way, it may be a mild form of nationality in creating a shared sense of knowledge between those who are familiar with the places and events mentioned within The Bronze Horseman. Overall, I believe that Pushkin’s portrayal of St. Petersburg has a deeper meaning and provokes a stronger emotional reaction from his audience through his use of imagery.

Beautiful Innocence and Deadly Jealousy in “The Tsar’s Bride”

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For me, the most prominent themes within the opera were the representations of innocence and deception. In light of the chaos of wartime, the opera represents the tragedy of– and existence of– innocence and deception by focusing on the portrayal of desire. In addition, the opera also represents the unconventional relationship that unfolds between Liubasha, Grigory, and Martha.

In light of Martha’s beauty and innocence, she attracts the attention of Grigory Gryaznoi, who finds himself hyperaware of her unmarried status and becomes increasingly fond of her. In his attempts to win her affection, he calls upon witchcraft. Specifically, he is told to sprinkle powder in a drink and give it to her so she will submit to his advances and ultimately fall in love with him. Simultaneously, his mistress, Liubasha, becomes extremely jealous of Martha and plans ways to corrupt Grigory’s interest. Liubasha visits the same person that gave Grigory his powder and is given another powder that inflicts insanity and death to its subject.  Liubasha’s character serves to emphasize the opera’s themes of deception and jealousy by emphasizing her suspicions of Grigory’s unfaithfulness and her intent of harming Martha with the powder. Additionally, Liubasha cleverly finds ways to taint Grigory’s love for Martha by influencing others while remaining undetected– as is the case with the wrongful death of the German  by Grigory after being misled by Liubasha to believe the German was deceitful. Deception is significant in both Liubasha’s jealousy and Grigory’s desire for Martha, because it highlights Martha’s purity add beauty in contrast to themselves. Overall, I found the opera’s portrayal of desire and deception to be interesting. I think the ways in which the characters dealt with the events was also significant in highlighting the themes of desire and deception.

Tale of the Destruction of Riazan: Bereavement Practices

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I want to focus on the differing ways in which the characters in the “Tale of the Destruction of Riazan” deal with grief. The tale stays central to the theme of death and destruction, in which many princes die in a man’s quest to conquer large areas of land for power. I find that the notions of death, martyrdom, and strong religious ties emphasize the ways in which the characters express their grief. For example, the death of Prince Fedor by Batu was devastating for his wife. In her grief, she killed herself and her son. This shows how death is dealt with in one way. Also, it definitely shows the contrasts with the way in which Prince Ingvar grieves for the death of his brothers and his citizens. This is most important and should be noted because these bereavement processes inform the ways in which the reader interprets the progression of the plot.  In this way, the story shows the self-destruction and ill fate that hatred and grief may inflict upon certain characters. Additionally, the importance of the actions of the characters in relation to experiencing intense grief is central to the text’s portrayal of christianity and paganism. In this approach of addressing bereavement, the reader is shown the implication of religion and the intent of a text in informing the reader.  For this text, I was intrigued by the ways in which the characters dealt with the death of their loved ones. Particularly, I was struck by the christianity of Prince Ingvanovich in choosing to grieve by giving a proper burial for his kin and rebuilding the city instead of causing more destruction like the others.

Question:

Does the delivery of a story directly impact the historical truth of a time period while also manipulating the interpretation of a text?