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Questions and Answers
What is the primary focus of literature?
What did the Russian Formalists emphasize as the motivation for literary devices?
What must literature do to be considered literary?
What happens to perception as it becomes habitual?
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What is the purpose of art, according to the text?
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What did the Russian Formalists emphasize as the author’s purpose in creating literary material?
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What is the primary concern of the formalist critic?
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What does the formalist critic assume about the author’s intention?
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Why does the formalist critic assume an ideal reader?
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Study Notes
Russian Formalism
- Russian Formalists do not constitute a uniform group or have a single methodology, but they share the goal of understanding the principles behind the mechanics of a literary text.
- They view literature as a craft, and seek to analyze the tools, mechanics, and modes of operation that create a literary work.
- Their approach is flexible and adaptable, as it doesn't rely on a predetermined methodology.
The Importance of Form
- For Russian Formalists, form is the essential component of literature that distinguishes it from other types of writing, such as history or science.
- Form is not just a "clothing" attached to meaning, but rather a separate entity with its own rules and history.
- The history of a literary genre, such as tragic drama, is not about the ideas expressed, but about the evolution of its form, conventions, and techniques.
Criticism and Context
- Some critics argue that focusing solely on the text, without considering the author's life or the reader's experience, is limiting and "bloodless."
- These critics argue that literature is written to be read, and that severing the text from its readers and author's context is drastic and disastrous.
- However, Russian Formalists argue that making distinctions between the text, author, and reader is necessary and useful for literary criticism.
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Description
Explore the concepts and principles of Russian Formalism, a literary approach focused on understanding the mechanics of a text as a crafted work. Learn about the tools, mechanics, and modes of operation employed in literary works.
