| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1103850 | Russian Literature | 2014 | 18 Pages |
The paper addresses Pasternak's negative attitude towards libertinism by pointing out the significant role assigned to the caricaturesque libertin Viktor Komarovskii in the novel Doktor Zhivago. Since it is Komarovskii who triggers a good deal of the plot, he is all but a secondary character. His libertinism, then, consists not so much in excess as in taking control over others' lives. On the other hand, there are unmistakably libertinist traits in the conduct of Iurii Zhivago, Pasternak's anti-libertinist protagonist. Moreover, Zhivago criticizes the asceticism of the revolutionary Pavel Antipov-Strel'nikov as rationalist and heartless. While using Hans Jonas' typology of libertinism and asceticism as just two ways of “contempt for the world”, the paper aims to conceptualize Zhivago's third position of openness and gratitude.
