Zhizdra Region
Most of the Russian literature we have read has been dominated by glorious czars, valiant warriors, and pious monks. “Khor and Kalinych”, “Three Deaths”, and “How One Russian Peasant Fed Two Generals” vividly depict the quotidian lives of Russia’s more common figures and all of the shades that they occupy. In the majority of the representations of serfs that we have viewed we have seen them through a monochromatic lens: stupid comedic reliefs like in The Snow Maiden. In my opinion, of the three stories “Khor and Kalinych” best illustrates the idiosyncratic nature of the peasantry.
Readers need not lay eyes on the Zhizdra region to grasp the distinction between the Orlov and Kaluga people. Turgenev’s depictions of Orlov and Kaluga provinces and peoples perfectly set up the story as one that adds depth to our literary understanding of Russian serfs. He displays the hierarchical and cultural differences between the two peoples: “The Orlov peasant is a man of little stature… taking part in no trade, eating poorly and wearing bast shoes whereas the Kaluga peasant, who pays quit-rent… has a tall build… trades in grease and tar and wears boots on feast days” (Turgenev 19). ‘Little’ and ‘tall’, ‘taking part in no trade’ and ‘trades in grease and tar’, and ‘bast shoes’ and ‘boots’ display the binaries that can exist between peasants that live in the same region. The juxtaposition of these descriptions works to enhance the differences between peasants and calls the reader to imagine what other ways that serfs may differ.
Despite Turgenev’s progressive depiction of serfs, it is important to note that his attention to detail was reserved only for males. Sexist language is used throughout the text. Women are called ‘stupid’ and referred to as workers ‘about the house’ (26). Also, not a single female character is named. After being amazed by Turgenev’s forward-looking illustrations of peasants, I was thoroughly disappointed that he chose not to portray female peasants in the same technicolor light he gave the men.
Thando, an excellent and very pertinent point. Turgenev is in fact known for his highly nuanced and sympathetic, almost proto-feminist portraits of female characters. Here, we are dealing with a narrator who is intentionally constructed as having his own prejudices and blind spots. Let’s discuss this in class!