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“The Old Schoolmaster” by V.S. Grossman: Four versions of the novel
https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2019-5-85-112
Abstract
The article deals with semantic changes which suffered V.S. Grossman‘s story “The Old Schoolmaster” in the period from 1943 to 1962. For the first time the researcher compares all published versions of the text with archival typewritten manuscript and analyzes carefully the detected differences based on the cultural and historical situation of the epoch. Even the plot of the story “The Old Schoolmaster” reconsidered now in the light of newly discovered facts.
The article demonstrates that the magazine “Znamya” publication (1943) was the most faithful to the original author’s idea. In the later editions as a result of censor changes the main character – Boris Isaakovich Rosenthal – turns from the Jewish teacher and tzaddik into a common kind, but weak person, and the image of Dr. Weintraub is greatly simplified and becomes less associated with the Jewish theme. Many of the wartime realities depicted by the author, including those relating to the fate of Jews in the occupied territories, are also consistently reduced.
Keywords
About the Author
Yu. A. VolokhovaRussian Federation
Yuliya A. Volokhova
bld. 6, Miusskaya Square, Moscow, Russia, 125993
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Supplementary files
For citation: Volokhova Y.A. “The Old Schoolmaster” by V.S. Grossman: Four versions of the novel. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2019;(5):85-112. https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2019-5-85-112
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