Author Archives: scsaxton

Nature Calls?

The first time I read through Blok’s “Autumn Day” I was struck by his sad tone, especially because, on the surface, it seemed to deal with very similar natural themes to the other works we have read. Upon my second reading, I was interested in the double meaning of the word “crane.” Though at first I read it as crane the animal, it could also be a construction crane. The leader, who I initially assumed was the leader of the flock of birds, could be the head worker crying out instructions to his other workers. The dark imagery of the rest of the poem supports this reading of industrialization. Blok writes that “no eye can count or measure… / and burning a hole in the dusk / a fire in a distant pasture…” (90). This “fire in the distant pasture” could symbolize the destruction of nature, specifically the idealistic pastoral image that occupies so much of Russian natural literature.

After witnessing the destruction of the land first-hand, the speaker of the poem questions “poor land, poor land, what do you mean / to the heart that moves in me?” (91). Though the speaker is devastated by the sight of the demolition of nature, he is already questioning what the natural land really meant to him. I think that this shows that, although there are many advocates for the environment and for preservation of natural landscapes, people are too quick to embrace industry, regardless of the natural cost.

Superfluous Dictatorship

Brown’s depiction of the Russian state in the field of power explains the “intrinsic aspect of Russian national culture that demands a ‘strong leader’ rather than wide participation” (165). The recurring trope of the superfluous man in much of the Russian literature we have read seems to mock this intrinsic “need” for a strong, overpowering male leader. Brown introduces the role of democracy as to “ensure and the rule of law  help to ensure that state power does not become overbearing,” but “the tight fist that has held state power in Russia since the days of Empire has left little opportunity for alternative powers to expand the field” (165).

In the texts that we have read, such as “Uncle Vanya” and “Amongst the Plants and Animals,” there is a lack of powerful male characters. This deficit is shown when male characters, who would traditionally be the strong head of the household, spend time in nature and do not prioritize their money-making or success. The trope of the “superfluous man,” who is often resented by his wife who wishes for more social status and a more lavish lifestyle, could be a quiet rebellion against the endless dictatorship in Russia. The female figure that demands a stronger husband is symbolic for the rejection of democracy and the many years under what Brown calls “the rule-making machine.”

Warning: Animal Crossing

Something that stood out to me while reading about the Russian forest and its creatures was the blurring of lines between the human and animal worlds, specifically in the Zinovieva-Annibal pieces. The two short stories, “The Bear Cubs” and “Wolves” depicted different interactions between the worlds. “The Bear Cubs” showed animals entering the human world whereas “Wolves” showed a frenzied girl cross a boundary between humans and animals.

The bear cubs in Zinovieva-Annibal’s story were introduced as the “two friends” of the narrator. Though bears are often feared in human worlds, the cubs are described as having teeth “softer than the touch of [my] hands” (4). Because the cubs are raised in the human world, they lose much of their status as terrifying creatures of the forest. As they grow larger, they regain their ability to be perceived as a threat to human safety, despite their deep love of humans and the lack of conflict between them thus far. Though the mother and daughter who raised the Mishka’s valued love over the hierarchy of humans and animals, both bear cubs died in the end of the story because of preconceived notions that animals are inherently dangerous to, as well as subject to the wrath of, humans.

The boundary crossed in Zinovieva-Annibal’s “Wolves” followed an emotional viewing of a pack of wolves being captured in a hunt and one wolf receiving a fatal wound that caused it much suffering. In order for the humans in the story to hunt wolves, they use hunting dogs. The use of an animal to hunt another animal implies a certain hierarchy of skill that humans cannot compensate for on their own. Despite this implied power dynamic, the hunters capture the wolves to bring them to the Tsar’s hunt, where they break one leg on each world so “they won’t run away too fast… and also so they can’t attack” (21). After seeing the brutality of the hunt, Verochka enters a frenzy, she howls and runs recklessly through the forest only to get tangled in one of the traps set for the wolves. Verochka is berated for her actions and laughed at, even though she is the only one seeing the wolves with compassion instead of bloodlust.

The Garden of Disillusionment

I found the use of gardens in both “On the Golden Porch” and “The Scent of Apples” interesting because, although on the surface they seem totally different, they both symbolize disillusionment and emotional turmoil throughout the seasons.

Tolstaya describes childhood as a garden, “without end or limit, without borders and fences, in noises and rustling, golden in the sun, pale green in the shade, a thousand layers thick” (41). Immediately I was struck by the short life of both a garden, especially through a Russian winter, and childhood itself. Though Tolstaya describes Uncle Pasha’s garden as his “Paradise,” the garden is also the setting for many of the familial conflicts with Veronika. This familial conflict begins the disenchantment of visiting Uncle Pasha that grows throughout the entire story.

The first introduction of a garden in the Bunin piece was similarly romantic to that of the Tolstaya: “the big garden, its dry and thinned-out leaves turning golden in the early light. I remember the avenue of maples, the delicate smell of the fallen leaves, and the scent of autumn apples” (3). Though Benin does not initially make implicit what gardens mean to the speaker, their beauty and impact are obvious. The speaker describes his Aunt’s garden as being famous for its “neglected state.” His Aunt’s home is also where he first claims to have felt serfdom, which is revisited when the author oversleeps his hunt.

The contexts of the stories still strike me as very different, but both introduce a nostalgic look at gardens and how the evolving life of a garden can be very similar to the ever-evolving human condition as it relates to changing societal behaviors and growing up.