The Generation Gap in Russian Literature of the Second Part of 1850s
Authors: Ponomareva Anastasia A. 
Published: February 2020

The paper analyzes the generation gap in the Russian literature of the second part of 1850s. Our research is based on works published in magazines: short stories, novelettes, and novels by L. N. Tolstoy, E. P. Novikov, P. I. Melnikov-Pecherskii, S. T. Slavutinskii, S. A. Ladyzhenskii, N. M. Pavlov, etc.
The generation gap in Russian literature of the second part of 1850s hasn’t yet been made an object of special research. It is traditionally touched upon in relation to the novel Fathers and Sons (1862) by I. S. Turgenev and fiction ‘generated’ by this novel. However, variants of 1850s and of 1860s differ from each other in significant ways: these variants linked by various ideas, heroes, plots and other.
The paper features two variants of the generation gap formed in the Russian literature of the second part of 1850s: great-grandfather / grandfather versus children, fathers versus children. The paper contains a detailed analysis of characterology and plot functions of protagonists that collide with each other, as well as structural-semantic plot organization.
First generation gap formed in the middle of 1850s. Short stories, novelettes, and novels have similar plot-composition structures: a story from the distant Russian past forms the plot core; as a rule, events take place in the 18th century (the so-called grandfather’s time); most often, the story is told by a servant of an old lord or is written down after his words; the audience of the story is meant to be from the middle of the 19th century; in some cases, he is also the narrator, a young man who compares generation values of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The paper asserts that, in spite of the fact that events take place in the past, the generation are identified through the turn towards social processes of the second half of the 1850s, particularly the emancipation reform. Literature and criticism emphasize the arrival of the new educated follower of democratic reforms instead of the hot-tempered landowner of the old type.
The type of the educated landowner gained prominence in 1850–1860s during the active discussion of the emancipation reform. The main narrative function of such protagonists is to prove the effectiveness of democratic theories in practice. At the core of the plot there is the conflict with the generation of fathers, the opponents of reform. We propose that the generation of children, as well as the generation of fathers, is needy: in spite of their education, the young men are shown to be petty and unable to act upon their words or understand the peasant way of life. The protagonists explain their lack of success by other reasons: the new generation was too hasty in their actions.
In conclusion, we maintain that Russian literature reflects an important social process of second part of 1850s, namely the anticipation of a ‘new’ man able to act upon popular democratic theories. This type formed ex adverso: writers and critics show a kind of behavior that differs from that of great-grandfathers, grandfathers, or fathers. However, the problem of rearrangement of the social system is beyond the abilities of the ‘fifties’ protagonist’. Much as he differs from his ancestors, he remains their descendant. A demonstrative devotion to democratic theories does not negate his aristocratic privileges. As a result, the plot turns stemming from popular ideas do not work as expected in the end.