''Literature and Revolution'' (russian: Литература и революция) is a classic work of
literary criticism
Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
from the
Marxist standpoint written by
Leon Trotsky
Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...
in 1924. By discussing the various literary trends that were around in Russia between the revolutions of 1905 and 1917 Trotsky analyzed the concrete forces in society, both progressive as well as reactionary, that helped shape the consciousness of writers at the time.
In the book, Trotsky also argued that since the dawn of civilization art had always borne the stamp of the ruling class and was primarily a vehicle that expressed its tastes and its sensibilities. Nonetheless, he went on to argue against the seemingly obvious conclusion that after a proletarian revolution the proletariat as a ruling class should, therefore, strive to create its own proletarian art
as many at the time thought.
To illustrate this he points out that the bourgeoisie as a class had time and resources to form its own culture way before the bourgeois revolutions in Europe in the 19th century while the proletariat by its position in society is deprived not only of culture but primarily the material means to attain it. Therefore, unlike previous revolutions in history the proletariat takes power not to install itself as a ruling class forever and hence create its own distinct culture but to create a society in which the existence of classes is materially impossible. Therefore, the task of the proletariat in power with respect to art after seeing to the more pressing needs of daily life (one must not forget Russia was a war-torn backward country) is to assimilate all the cultural achievements of the past and lay the foundations for a truly classless and human culture and art in the future. Trotsky's conviction of the heights human beings can reach once the fetters of oppression are thrown asunder is illustrated by the following quote from the book:
See also
*
List of books by Leon Trotsky
The following is a chronological list of books by Leon Trotsky, a Marxist theoretician, including hardcover and paperback books and pamphlets published during his life and posthumously during the years immediately following his assassination i ...
Footnotes
Literature
* ''Борев Ю.'
Эстетика Троцкого(in Russian) // Литература и революция / Л. Троцкий. — печатается по изд. 1923 г. — М.: Политиздат, 1991. — 399 с. — .
* ''Thatcher I. D.'
Trotsky's Dialectic// Studies in Soviet Thought. — 1991. — March (vol. 41, iss. 2). — P. 127—144.
External links
on marxists.org, translated by
Rose Strunsky Lorwin
Rose Strunsky Lorwin (1884, Russia – 1963, New York City) was a Jewish Russian-American translator and socialist based in New York City.
Early life and education
Rose Strunsky was born to a Jewish Russian family in what is now Belarus and was pa ...
{{Leon Trotsky
Communist books
1924 non-fiction books
Works by Leon Trotsky
Books of literary criticism
Books about revolutions