Literature of propoganda. From ideological mimesis to mythography : Lithuanian literature in the late Stalinist period

Straipsnyje siekiama pateikti funkcinę ir simbolinę literatūrinės propagandos reiškinio analizę. Stalinistinio laikotarpio oficialioji, dominuojanti literatūra turi būti nagrinėjama atsižvelgiant į jos ideologinį ir propagandinį statusą bei remiantis funkcionalizmo ir simbolinės analizės metodologijomis. Tradiciškai visa propaganda yra skirstoma į ideologinę ir pragmatinę. Totalitarinė sovietinė propaganda pirmiausia buvo ideologinė. Išskirtinos šios tuometinės literatūros funkcijos: kritinė, mimetinė, modeliuojanti, mitografinė, falsifikuojanti. Kritinę funkciją padėjo įgyvendinti satyros, feljetonai, pamfletai (P. Cvirka). Pamfletai propagandiniu požiūriu patogūs demaskuoti priešų kėslams, pajuokti ir pažeminti juos ir jų herojus. Mimezė pirmiausia reiškė esamų ideologinių štampų ir vertinimų kartojimą, energingą režimo formuluojamų taisyklių vykdymą (T. Tilvytis, A. Gudaitis-Guzevičius). Mitografinė funkcija, plačiai realizuota S. Nėries stalinistinėje poezijoje, daugiau susieta su naujų simbolių, herojų ir priešų paveikslų kūrimu, o modeliuojanti — įgalina naujas kolektyvizacijos, socializacijos, individuacijos kryptis (S. Nėris apie M. Melnikaitę). Eilėraščiai puikiai tinka trumpalaikei efektyviai agitacijai. Poemos ir romanai tampa efektyvūs tik tuomet, kai jie yra įtraukiami į bendrąją lavinimo sistemą. Romanai, kaip ir kino filmai, taip pat buvo naudojami kuriant naujas istorines proletariato ir liaudies kovų legendas. Iki šios dienos šios propagandinės legendos veikia Lietuvos piliečių įsitikinimus, todėl jų kritika išlieka būtina lavinimosi ir kultūrinio dialogo dalimi.In this article relationships between totalitarian propaganda in Lithuanian literature are analyzed from functional and symbolic perspectives. The emphasis is on critical, mimetic, mythographical, model and falsification functions of propaganda evident in the official Lithuanian Soviet literature from 1940 to 1953. Two types of propaganda are singled out in the article, the ideological and the pragmatic. Since Soviet propaganda emphasized in particular the pragmatic purposes of systematic persuasion, ideological beliefs and routine public propaganda were more important to writers and propagandists than creative thinking about the tasks of literature or the need to engage in persuasion. Most writers of the totalitarian period simply imitated the mote effective rhetorical models or patterns and disguises, competing among themselves in matters of loyalty to the regime in power. In the case of Stalinist propaganda, mimesis had not only persuasive but first of all ritualistic purposes, akin to games played in accordance with very strict rules. [...] Propaganda required that one follow three kinds of rules: ideological, campaign-related and creative. By contrast, genuinely autonomous literature follows only its own mimetic traditions and seeks to perform its own inherent tasks. The creative function of Soviet propaganda literature can be defined by two different processes, persuasive mythography and artistic creativity. The former seeks to create symbols and legends and to propose original interpretations of historical events. The latter contains elements that could be interpreted from traditional literary perspectives characteristic of stylistic, rhetorical, genre, narrative or linguistic analyses. Pamphlets, poems, novels are legitimate genres that can be used for propaganda purposes. Pamphlets offer particularly convenient venues of criticism for the purpose of propaganda and the denunciation of hostile "enemy smiles" or intents. Propaganda verses are used to support or create new myths and symbols for use by a totalitarian society. Novels, however, can be used for the purpose of systematic persuasion only if they are included in the educational programs for schools, colleges and universities or are related to popular interpretations of historical legends. Stalinist epic novels often strove to create new legends surrounding historical events, class struggle and the role of the party in the advance of the proletariat. Works by several Lithuanian writers of the late Stalinist period, notably P. Cvirkas pamphlets, poems by S. Neris and T. Tilvytis and a novel by A. Gudaitis-Guzevičius are analyzed and interpreted in this article. All of these works were related to the ideological necessities of Stalinist campaigns of persuasion. Their authors were ideological conformists, active and creative propagandists, who expressed specific national as well as popular international feelings. Neris, Tilvytis and Gudaitis- Guzevičius, as well as the poet A. Venclova, received the State Stalin Prize in literature. Finally, the article argues for the necessity of specific philosophical and anthropological analyses of this kind of propaganda literature. The article attempts to present a functional and symbolical analysis of the phenomenon of literary propaganda. The official predominant literature of the Stalinist period must be examined referring to its ideological and propaganda status and referring to the methodologies of functionalism and symbolic analysis. Traditionally all propaganda is divided into ideological and pragmatic. The totalitarian Soviet propaganda was first of all ideological. The exceptional functions of the literature of the period were the critical, mimetic, modeling, mythographic and falsifying. The critical function was implemented by satire, columns, features, pamphlets and lampoons (P. Cvirka). The latter were convenient, in terms of propaganda, for the purpose of revealing the enemies’ intentions and mocking them and their heroes. The mimesis first of all meant the reiteration of the existing ideological stamps and evaluations and an energetic execution of the rules, formulated by the regime (T. Tilvytis and A. Gudaitis-Guzevičius). The mythographic function, widely implemented in S. Nėris’s Stalinist poetry, is more related to development of new symbols, heroes and enemies and the modeling function enabled the new directions of collectivization, socialization and individuation (S. Nėris on M. Melnikaitė). The poems were splendidly suitable for efficient short-term agitation. Poems and novels become efficient only in case they are included into the common educational system. Novels, as motion pictures, were also used for creation of new historical legends of the proletariat and people’s struggles. The propaganda legends have been influencing the mentality of the citizens of Lithuania till the present day therefore their criticism is still a necessary part in the educational and cultural dialogue