Page 96 - Vinkler, Jonatan, Ana Beguš and Marcello Potocco. Eds. 2019. Ideology in the 20th Century: Studies of literary and social discourses and practices. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 96
Ideology in the 20th Century: studies of literary and social discourses and practices
(films such as Cesta ke štěstí in 1951, decorating of public spaces, e.g. rail-
way halls, etc.). The image of the countryside became part of the polit-
ical propaganda which, in black and white, gives the reader (viewer) a
pattern of both positive and negative characters, which must be prop-
erly morally supported or rejected. The perversity of these concepts and
methods could only be captured later, for example, in the novels such
as Velká samota (1960) by Ivan Kříž (1922), Smuteční slavnost (1967) by
Eva Kantůrková (1930) or Zelené obzory (1960) by Jan Procházka (1929–
1971), or by the famous film by Vojtěch Jasný (1925–2019), Všichni dobří
rodáci (1968). Possible exceptions to these concepts were usually searched
for in historical topics (Vladimír Körner (1939)), lyricizing experiments
such as Zlatá reneta by František Hrubín (1910–1971). The world of the
contemporary village was also the subject of significant ironizing tenden-
96 cies (Sekyra (1966) by Ludvík Vaculík (1926–2015) or Žert (1967) by Mi-
lan Kundera (1929)).
Many of these positions are similar to those in the Slovenian liter-
ature. A significant change can be perceived primarily in the works by
Ivan Cankar, who deprives the Slovenian countryside of previous folklor-
istic idealization (Janko Kersnik (1852–1897), Janez Trdina (1830–1902))
or nostalgic idyllic tendencies (Ivan Tavčar’s (1851–1923) Cvetje v jeseni
(1917)), while confronting his protagonists with the harsh social strati-
fication of society, often also ironically targeting at its backwardness, ig-
norance and superstition (among others, in the novels such as Na klancu
(1902), Martin Kačur (1906), see Kos 1985, 2). Features bordering on the
ancient classical struggle for survival in confrontation with adversity and
other circumstances characterize the short story collection Samorastniki
(1940) by Prežihov Voranc (1893–1950)). A number of his contemporar-
ies also devoted themselves to the rural environment, eg. Miško Kranjec
(1908–1983), Ivan Potrč (1913–1993), Anton Ingolič (1907–1992), Ciril
Kosmač (1910–1980) and others, so Viktor Kudělka later describes the
rural theme as one of the traditional ones in the Slovenian environment
(Kudělka 1973, 229).
During the 1960s and 1970s, this subject of Slovenian literature grad-
ually disappears, so Miran Hladnik comments:
During 1970s the presence of well known names in the genre of rural liter-
ature ended. The first-class authors said goodbye to the countryside stories.
By avoiding the countryside themes the exclusive elite literary programme
(without realising it) made the best service to the oficial politics concern-
ing the peasants … Can the contemporary writer imagine the fictious hero
(films such as Cesta ke štěstí in 1951, decorating of public spaces, e.g. rail-
way halls, etc.). The image of the countryside became part of the polit-
ical propaganda which, in black and white, gives the reader (viewer) a
pattern of both positive and negative characters, which must be prop-
erly morally supported or rejected. The perversity of these concepts and
methods could only be captured later, for example, in the novels such
as Velká samota (1960) by Ivan Kříž (1922), Smuteční slavnost (1967) by
Eva Kantůrková (1930) or Zelené obzory (1960) by Jan Procházka (1929–
1971), or by the famous film by Vojtěch Jasný (1925–2019), Všichni dobří
rodáci (1968). Possible exceptions to these concepts were usually searched
for in historical topics (Vladimír Körner (1939)), lyricizing experiments
such as Zlatá reneta by František Hrubín (1910–1971). The world of the
contemporary village was also the subject of significant ironizing tenden-
96 cies (Sekyra (1966) by Ludvík Vaculík (1926–2015) or Žert (1967) by Mi-
lan Kundera (1929)).
Many of these positions are similar to those in the Slovenian liter-
ature. A significant change can be perceived primarily in the works by
Ivan Cankar, who deprives the Slovenian countryside of previous folklor-
istic idealization (Janko Kersnik (1852–1897), Janez Trdina (1830–1902))
or nostalgic idyllic tendencies (Ivan Tavčar’s (1851–1923) Cvetje v jeseni
(1917)), while confronting his protagonists with the harsh social strati-
fication of society, often also ironically targeting at its backwardness, ig-
norance and superstition (among others, in the novels such as Na klancu
(1902), Martin Kačur (1906), see Kos 1985, 2). Features bordering on the
ancient classical struggle for survival in confrontation with adversity and
other circumstances characterize the short story collection Samorastniki
(1940) by Prežihov Voranc (1893–1950)). A number of his contemporar-
ies also devoted themselves to the rural environment, eg. Miško Kranjec
(1908–1983), Ivan Potrč (1913–1993), Anton Ingolič (1907–1992), Ciril
Kosmač (1910–1980) and others, so Viktor Kudělka later describes the
rural theme as one of the traditional ones in the Slovenian environment
(Kudělka 1973, 229).
During the 1960s and 1970s, this subject of Slovenian literature grad-
ually disappears, so Miran Hladnik comments:
During 1970s the presence of well known names in the genre of rural liter-
ature ended. The first-class authors said goodbye to the countryside stories.
By avoiding the countryside themes the exclusive elite literary programme
(without realising it) made the best service to the oficial politics concern-
ing the peasants … Can the contemporary writer imagine the fictious hero
