Neorealism in the literature of the 20th century: problems of terminological definition and reception in Ukraine

Abstract

The stylistic trend of neorealism developed in many countries throughout the 20th century – from the era of decadence to the postmodern period. This development is related to new modernist trends and ideas, not just classical realism. The purpose of the study: to introduce the concept of "neorealism" into a wider context. The theoretical basis is the historical-literary analysis and comparative comparison (comparative-typological and receptological methods).

The influence of realist traditions is undeniable in the early works of the avant-garde James Joyce and even in the search for a new manner of prose writing – "stream of consciousness" – in "Ulysses". Vivid examples of the complex interaction of the realistic tradition of the 19th century and modern ideas are the works of Luigi Pirandello, Thomas Mann, and other modernists. The new philosophical foundation of realism in the 20th century is modern "philosophy of life" and existentialist philosophy. Italian neorealism as an independent stylistic trend began to emerge already in the period of the approach of the Second World War and immediately after it, when it received recognition in criticism. Italian criticism gave this current the name "neorealism", borrowing from philosophy and considering the bygone era of realism. In the middle of the 20th century the development of neorealism is conditioned by the crisis state of culture in post-totalitarian societies, primarily by the need to overcome totalitarian myths and stereotypes of the mass consciousness, caused by the dominance of propaganda and political or aesthetic dogmatism. Neorealist art is connected with the development of mass culture.

However, true neorealist art was not able to overcome totalitarian prejudices and stereotypes everywhere. The revival of imperial totalitarian ideology in modern Russia is connected with the "dying" of neorealism in the 1950s and 1980s. In the literature of the former USSR, neorealism opposed socialist realism. Officially declared in the totalitarian world under the control of the Soviet Union, the trend of social realism purely formally declared the principles of realistic art, in particular "the true reflection of life", but had nothing to do with neorealism, except for the external entourage and declarations.