The category of simplicity in A. S. Pushkin’s philosophy and works

Abstract

The author attempts to find out in which ways Pushkin used the word ‘prostoy’ [‘simple’] and why he valued this quality so much. According to V. Dal’s dictionary, the word can have positive as well as negative connotations. Pushkin, however, constantly uses it to denote the virtue of a literary work unmarred by negative features such as vagueness, confusion, and ostentatiousness. Examples of such usage can be found in his characteristics of Delvig and Baratynsky. Pushkin bestows not only aesthetic, but also ethical meaning on the attribute ‘simple.’ He calls Tatiana Larina, his ideal, ‘simple’: here, the word is synonymous with ‘noble.’ Simplicity as naivety and purity of the heart defines the characters of The Belkin Tales [Povesti Belkina] and The Captain’s Daughter [Kapitanskaya dochka]. Analysis of The Belkin Tales reveals yet another aspect of simplicity: the category serves to determine both polemic and positive aspects, for both the book’s poetics and meanings. The author concludes his research by suggesting that simplicity belongs to Pushkin’s fundamental concepts.