Where was Walter Scott born? Scott, Walter - biography
In 1830 he suffered his first apoplectic stroke, which paralyzed his right arm.
In 1830-1831 Scott suffers two more apoplectic strokes.
Currently, a museum of the famous writer is open at the Scott Abbotsford estate.
Creation
Walter Scott began his career with poetry. The first literary performances of W. Scott occurred at the end of the 1890s: in 1796, translations of two ballads by the German poet G. Burger "Lenora" and "The Wild Hunter" were published, and in 1799 - a translation of the drama by I. V. Goethe " Getz von Berlichingem ".
The first original work of the young poet was the romantic ballad "Ivanov's Evening" (1800). It was from this year that Scott began to actively collect Scottish folklore and, as a result, in 1802 he published a two-volume collection "Songs of the Scottish Border". The collection includes several original ballads and many elaborate South Scottish legends. The third volume of the collection was published in 1803. The entire reading public of Great Britain was most captivated not by his innovative poetry for those times, or even by his poems, but above all by the world's first novel in verse "Marmion" (in Russian it first appeared in 2000 in the publication "Literary Monuments").
The romantic poems of 1805-1817 brought him the fame of the greatest poet, made the genre of lyric-epic poem popular, which combines the dramatic plot of the Middle Ages with picturesque landscapes and a lyric song in the style of a ballad: "Song of the Last Minstrel" (1805), "Marmion" (1808) , "The Lady of the Lake" (1810), "Rockby" (1813), etc. Scott became the true founder of the genre of the historical poem.
The prose of the then famous poet began with the novel Waverly, or Sixty Years Ago (1814). Walter Scott, with his poor health, had a phenomenal capacity for work: as a rule, he published at least two novels a year. During more than thirty years of literary activity, the writer created twenty-eight novels, nine poems, many stories, literary critical articles, historical works.
At forty-two, the writer first filed his historical novels with readers. Like his predecessors in this field, Walter Scott named numerous authors of "Gothic" and "antique" novels, he was especially fascinated by the work of Mary Edgeworth, in whose work Irish history is reflected. But Walter Scott was looking for his own path. "Gothic" novels did not satisfy him with excessive mysticism, "antique" - incomprehensible to the modern reader.
After a long search, Walter Scott created a universal structure of the historical novel, redistributing the real and the fictional in such a way as to show that not the life of historical persons, but the constant movement of history, which can not be stopped by any of the outstanding personalities, is a real object worthy of the artist's attention. Scott's view of the development of human society is called "providential" (from the Latin providentia - God's will). Here Scott follows Shakespeare. The historical chronicle of Shakespeare comprehended national history, but at the level of "the history of kings".
Walter Scott put the historical figure in the background, and brought fictional characters to the forefront of events, influenced by the change of the era. Thus, Walter Scott showed that the driving force of history is the people, folk life itself is the main object of Scott's artistic research. Its antiquity is never blurred, foggy, fantastic; Walter Scott is absolutely accurate in depicting historical reality, because it is believed that he developed the phenomenon of "historical flavor", that is, skillfully showed the originality of a particular era.
Romana is the world famous Scottish writer Walter Scott. His biography is a chronology of the life of a worker who is simultaneously in love with his homeland and appreciates the history and unity of Britain.
His fellow countrymen appreciate him for being the first to present Scottish culture and identity to the world in his books. The writer warned the champions of the British great power that an attempt to "scotch" his fellow tribesmen was doomed to a deafening failure. He honored the customs of his native land and honored the head of his clan. However, he has always been a champion of the rule of law and British statehood. Therefore, quite consciously, the writer accepted the title of baronet granted by the king.
Childhood
Born in the capital of Scotland - Edinburgh - Sir Walter Scott. The biography of this strong-willed and extraordinary person began with a test. At the age of one, he suffered from infantile paralysis, and therefore was marked for life with lameness, having lost the mobility of his right leg. He was the ninth child of a famous Edinburgh lawyer. However, only three children survived. Twice the parents treated the child's illness on mineral springs, which weakened the symptoms of the disease. Before starting his studies, little Walter Scott was a frequent visitor as a nephew on the farms of relatives in the Scottish province.
His childhood was imbued with the simple life of the Scottish hinterland, folk tales, songs. His soul was close to the unassuming hilly landscape of his homeland with numerous lakes and ancient mysterious structures.
Education
From the age of eight, Walter Scott studied at the Edinburgh School, and at the age of 14 he entered the Edinburgh College. Among his peers, he was distinguished by a phenomenal memory and an innate mind. His comrades considered him an unsurpassed storyteller. From childhood to the end of his days, the future writer independently worked on his education, he deeply delved into ancient and European (especially German) literature, having received encyclopedic knowledge recognized by all.
In his youth, carried away by mountaineering, the future classic got stronger physically, and his disease began to manifest itself to a lesser extent.
Family, career
Walter Scott (1771-1832) was an amazingly harmonious and holistic nature, the writer achieved genuine public respect, having received a solid lawyer's education and a respected profession. His first feeling was unhappy. A twenty-year-old young man falls in love with the daughter of his father's friend, Villamina Belches, and has been caring for her for five years, but she does not reciprocate and marries another.
However, he was destined to have a harmonious and happy family life. At the age of twenty-five, he married Miss Margaret Carpenter. The spouses first have a son, and two years later - a daughter. Moving up the career ladder, in 1806 he was appointed clerk of the court.
Good husband and father
According to the surviving records of contemporaries, Sir Walter Scott was an exemplary father and head of the family. His biography testifies that he gave his children a proper education, and that the writer in love with Scotland, at his discretion, rebuilt his estate Abbotsford into an old castle, however, convenient and comfortable. The place of the armory and the rooms of the servants in the house of the classic was taken by the library rooms and the study. Despite his rather frequent ailments, he was a pleasant and hospitable host, the soul of the company.
He was a kind and fair man, a sanguine person, equally easily and kindly communicating with both nobles and ordinary people. His professional activity has always followed the golden rule of the presumption of innocence. In the political battles between the British liberals and the Tories, each of which tried to win over the famous writer to their side, he did not follow either side, preferring the sane position of a statesman.
Poetic creativity
Walter Scott wrote his first literary works at the age of 25. The biography of the famous novelist began with poetry. The Scotsman translated Gottfried Burger's mystical ballads The Wild Hunter and Lenora, as well as Johann Goethe's knightly tragedy Getz von Berlichingen. Soon the young author begins to write works based on Scottish folklore. The poet wrote his first own work in 1800, it was the mystical knightly ballad "Ivanov's Evening".
Inspired by the folk epic, the poet begins to develop this fertile theme, publishing a two-volume collection of his poems entitled "Songs of the Scottish Border". He was successful. The reading of the British public was already eagerly awaiting the creation of the third volume of "Songs". Walter Scott became widely known for his innovative romantic poetry. The books of his poetry were popular with compatriots. Among them, the ballads "Marmion", "Rockby", "The Lady of the Lake", "Song of the Last Minstrel" deserved special recognition.
Social romances
The famous novelist began writing prose ten years later. His first work was published anonymously in 1814 under the title "Waverley, or 60 years ago." Quite often ill, Walter Scott worked surprisingly fruitfully. His books (meaning novels) were written on average two a year. Until 1827, his prose came out with the signature "author of Waverley". In total, over thirty years of his work, 28 novels and a large number of stories have been published from the writer's pen. His literary research went beyond the canonical novels of chivalry, he became disillusioned with mysticism.
He created a new style in literature, masterfully mixing the history of his native land, which he knew brilliantly, with highly artistic fiction, while creating surprisingly bright and beloved characters. Real historical events are only a canvas for him, against the background of which the life of his characters proceeds. The work of Walter Scott until 1819 tends to describe events and conflicts that were fateful for Britain. The most striking novels of that period are Rob Roy (1818), which tells of a Scottish rebel and robber, and The Puritans (1816), which deals with an uprising against the royal dynasty. In addition to the two above-mentioned books, the attention of the reader is drawn to "Antiquary", "Guy Mannering", "The Legend of Montrose".
Romance books
After 1819, Walter Scott slightly changes the theme of his works. Romanticism in his novels is increasing, the intensity of class confrontation is decreasing. Now the writer's attention is riveted to the whole of Britain, and not just to his native Scotland. The master's palette becomes more diverse. The novel "Ivanhoe" (1819), which tells about England of the XII century, becomes a kind of Rubicon in his work. This was followed by the writing of the books "The Abbot", "The Monastery", "Kenilworth", "Quentin Dorward", "The Perth Beauty". He also creates biographical works: The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, The Death of Lord Byron.
Financial hardships
However, the literary work, which Walter Scott was engaged in, was not so simple. Interesting facts from the life of the writer testify that in 1825, while he was working on "The Destiny of Napoleon", the capital of the publisher and printer who worked with him (Constable and the late James Ballantyne), combined with his capital, went bankrupt on speculative operations of its management company, Hirst, Robinson & Co.
The British then looked with sympathy at the ruin of their favorite. According to the recollections of contemporaries, when the ruined Sir Walter Scott, as a court clerk, appeared at its meeting, he behaved with dignity and meekness. When his colleagues offered him to lend enough money to improve his financial condition, the writer refused. He, thanking for participation, replied: "My right hand will help me." In these words, both high human dignity and purely Scottish pride were felt.
Death of a classic
The writer almost managed to pay off the debt of 120,000 pounds from the depreciation of promissory notes with the proceeds of his new novels. However, nervous tension and constant irregular writing took its toll on his health. Between 1830 and 1831, the writer suffered three strokes, and on September 21, 1832, Sir Walter Scott died of a heart attack on his Abbotsford estate. The remaining debt for him was paid off fifteen years later, thanks to the sale of copyright.
It should be noted that Walter Scott is known not only to the readers of the books. The adaptation of the classic's works is familiar to millions of viewers. The film "The Legend of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe" is very famous, as well as the film-mix based on the works of the classic "The Arrows of Robin Hood". The films "Rob Roy" and "The Adventures of Quentin Dorward" are known to fans of his work.
Conclusion
Having written novels read in Britain and around the world, Sir Walter Scott was a highly respected author. He stood at the origins of the creation of the genre of the historical novel. The classic was a very harmonious personality and very successfully combined creative and legal activities.
He comprehended the science of wisdom: to live with people and for people, having his own point of view, but at the same time not having enemies. It is noteworthy that Walter Scott was a true patriot of Scotland. His biography is an example of creative literary work.
The premature death of this most talented person, caused by hard irregular work and poor health, is regrettable.
WALTER SCOTT
(1771 — 1832)
Walter Scott was born on August 15, 1771 in the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, into the family of a Scottish baronet, a wealthy lawyer. He was the ninth child in a family with twelve children. In January 1772, Scott fell ill with infantile paralysis, lost the mobility of his right leg and was permanently lame. Twice (in 1775 and 1777) little Scott was treated in the resort towns of Bath and Prestonpans. In 1778, Scott returned to Edinburgh. From 1779 he studied at the Edinburgh School, in 1785 he entered the Edinburgh College.
The year 1792 becomes important for Scott: at the University of Edinburgh, he passed the bar exam. Since that time, Walter Scott has become a respected person with a prestigious profession, has his own legal practice. On December 24, 1796, Scott married Margaret Carpenter, had a son in 1801, and a daughter in 1803. From 1799 he became Sheriff of Selkirk County, from 1806 - clerk of the court.
The first literary performances of W. Scott occurred at the end of the 90s: in 1796, translations of two ballads of the German poet G. Burger "Lenora" and "The Wild Hunter" were published, and in 1799 - a translation of the drama by J. V. Goethe " Berlichingham ". The first original work of the young poet was the romantic ballad "Ivanov's Evening" (1800). It was from this year that Scott began to actively collect Scottish folklore and, as a result, in 1802 published a two-volume collection "Songs of the Scottish Frontier". The collection includes several original ballads and many elaborate South Scottish legends. The third volume of the collection was published in 1803.
Walter Scott, in poor health, had a phenomenal capacity for work: as a rule, he published at least two novels a year. During more than thirty years of literary activity, the writer created twenty-eight novels, nine poems, many stories, literary critical articles, historical works.
The romantic poems of 1805-1817 brought him fame as an outstanding poet, made the genre of lyric-epic poem popular, combines the dramatic plot of the Middle Ages with picturesque landscapes and lyric songs in the style of ballads: "Song of the Last Minstrel" (1805), "Marmion" (1808), "The Lady of the Lake" (1810), "Rockby" (1813) and others. Scott became the founder of the genre of the historical poem.
At forty-two, the writer first presented his historical novels to the readers' judgment. Like his predecessors in this field, Scott named numerous authors of "Gothic" and "antique" novels, he was especially fascinated by the work of Mary Edgeworth, whose work reflects Irish history. But Scott was looking for his own path. "Gothic novels" did not satisfy him with excessive mysticism, "antique" - incomprehensibility for the modern reader.
After a long search, Scott created the universal structure of the historical novel, redistributing the real and the fictional in such a way as to show that not the life of historical persons, but the constant movement of history, which can not be stopped by any of the outstanding personalities, is a real object worthy of the artist's attention. Scott's view of the development of human society is called providential (from the Latin Providence - God's will). Here Scott follows Shakespeare. Historical chronicles of Shakespeare comprehended national history, but at the level of "the history of kings". Scott translated historical figures into the background, and brought fictional characters to the forefront of events, whose share is influenced by the change of eras. Thus, Scott showed that the driving force of history is the people, folk life is the main object of Scott's artistic research. Its antiquity is never blurred, foggy, fantastic; Scott is absolutely accurate in depicting historical realities, therefore it is believed that he developed the phenomenon of Historical flavor, that is, he masterfully showed the originality of a particular era. Scott's predecessors portrayed history for history's sake, demonstrated their outstanding knowledge and thus enriched the knowledge of readers, but for the sake of knowledge itself. This is not the case with Scott: he knows the historical era in detail, but always connects it with modern problems, showing how similar problems found their solution in the past. So, Scott is the creator of the historical novel genre; the first of them - "Waverly" (1814) - appeared anonymously (the following novels, up to 1827, were published as works by "the author of Waverly" ").
At the center of Scott's novels are events associated with significant socio-historical conflicts. Among them are Scott's "Scottish" novels (based on Scottish history) - Guy Mannering (1815), The Antiquary (1816), The Puritans (1816), Rob Roy (1818), The Legend of Montrose "(1819). The most successful among them are "Puritans" and "Rob Roy". The first depicts the 1679 revolt against the restored Stuart dynasty in 1660; the hero of "Rob Roy" is the people's avenger, "Scottish Robin Hood".
In 1818, a volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica appears with Scott's article "Chivalry". After 1819, the contradictions in the writer's worldview intensified. To raise sharply, as before, the issues of the class struggle, Scott is no longer resolved. However, the subject matter of his historical novels has become noticeably broader. Moving beyond the borders of Scotland, the writer turns to the ancient times of the history of England and France. Events in English history are depicted in the novels Ivanhoe (1820), The Monastery (1820), The Abbot (1820), Kenilworth (1821), Woodstock (1826), The Perth Beauty (1828). The novel "Quentin Dorward" (1823) is dedicated to the events in France during the reign of Louis XI. The scene of the action of the novel "Talisman" (1825) becomes the eastern Mediterranean. If we generalize the events of Scott's novels, then we will see a special, peculiar world of events and feelings, a gigantic panorama of the life of England, Scotland and France for several centuries, from the end of the 11th to the beginning of the 19th century.
In Scott's work of the 1920s, while maintaining a realistic basis, the presence and significant influence of romanticism increased over time (especially in Ivanhoe, a novel from the late Middle Ages). A special place in it is occupied by the novel from modern life "St. Ronan Waters" (1824). The bourgeoisization of the nobility is shown in critical tones, the titled nobility is depicted satirically. In the 1920s, a number of works by Walter Scott on historical and historical-literary themes were published: The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte (1827), The History of Scotland (1829 - 1830), The Death of Lord Byron (1824).
Having suffered a financial collapse in the late 1920s, Scott earned so much in several years that he almost completely paid off debts that exceeded one hundred and twenty thousand pounds. In life he was an exemplary family man, a man of kind, sensitive, tactical will; loved his Abbotsford estate, which he rebuilt, making a small castle out of it; loved trees, pets, a good feast in the family circle. He died of a heart attack on September 21, 1832.
By creating a historical novel, Scott established the laws of a new genre and brilliantly put them into practice. He even linked family and domestic conflicts with the destinies of the nation and the state, with the development of public life. Scott's work has significantly influenced European and American literature. It was Scott who enriched the 19th century social novel with the principle of a historical approach to events. In many European countries, his works formed the basis of a national historical novel.
Sir Walter Scott (Walter Scott, August 15, 1771 - September 21, 1832) - world famous English writer, translator, historian and lawyer. It is believed that it was Walter Scott who is the founder of a new genre in literature - the historical novel.
Childhood
Walter Scott was born on August 15 in Edinburgh. His father was a hereditary lawyer whose ancestors lived in Scotland. The mother of the future writer was of aristocratic origin and was the daughter of hereditary doctors.
Walter was the ninth child in a family of 13 children. However, due to the plague and cholera epidemic that reigned at that time, only three children survived, including Walter.
A year after birth, the baby becomes ill with infantile paralysis. At that time, there were no treatment methods in the world, no specialists who could help a child cope with the disease. Therefore, Walter Scott, having survived the most difficult condition and recovered, completely lost the mobility and sensitivity of his right leg (later this was what influenced his peculiar lame gait).
Due to his illness, which greatly weakened the child's body, Scott has to leave for resorts for treatment several times. For several years of his life he traveled to Bath and Prestonpance, recovering his failing health. And then he was transferred from Edinburgh to his grandfather's farm, located in Sandinoe, where the parents planned to completely cure the child from paralysis (but, unfortunately, their desire did not work).
Youth and early writing career
In 1785, after graduating from high school, Walter Scott entered Edinburgh College. This period is a turning point in the entire biography of the future writer.
At first, he tries to maximize his physical endurance and even goes in for mountaineering for some time, despite his physical disability. By the way, it is thanks to sports that Walter manages to strengthen the body and immunity for subsequent numerous trips.
In addition, the young man begins to take a serious interest in literature and, in particular, antique manuscripts, ballads, legends and traditions of his native Scotland. For his aspirations, as well as for the incredibly rich vocabulary acquired by Scott after reading numerous books, he becomes the life of the company and earns the status of an excellent storyteller.
In the same year, Walter Scott, together with several fellow classmates, organized the "Poetic Society" at the college. Its participants get the opportunity not only to share their impressions of the books they have read, but also to learn German, and also to bring their own stories and poems for review. The Poetic Society soon became one of the most popular in college.
In 1792, Scott decides to try himself in the legal field and successfully passes all the exams to become a lawyer. He is entrusted with several cases at once, as a result of which he is forced to travel around the country for some time. Walter wastes no time - he combines the work of a lawyer with collecting new and even more interesting Scottish legends. By the way, he even translates some of them into English. In particular, at this time he anonymously publishes his translation of Burger's ballad "Lenora".
In 1796, Walter Scott retired from his position as a lawyer and focused on the creative career of a writer. Initially, he already openly publishes translations of the ballads "Wild Hunter" and "Lenora", and later, in 1799, a translation into German of Goethe's drama "Getz von Berlichingen". Since 1800, an active independent work of a novice writer begins. Such works of Scott as "Ivanov's Evening", "Songs of the Scottish Border", "Marmion" and others appear in publications.
After some time, Walter Scott began to create his famous historical novels. Following the traditions of Shakespeare, he describes, rather, not the characters themselves, creating a story for them, but on the contrary, tells about the inevitable and constant flow of this very story, which affects the life and actions of each hero. This view of the world by Walter Scott will soon be called "providential" (from the Latin word for God's will).
Scott's first historical novel is Waverly, completed and published in 1814. This is followed by such works with socio-historical conflicts as "Guy Mannering" (1815), "Antiquary" (1816), "Puritans" (1816), "Rob Roy" (1818), "The Legend of Montrose" (1819) and other. After their release, Walter Scott becomes famous all over the world, and many of his works are staged in theater and cinema at different times.
Personal life
Walter Scott has been married twice. He first fell in love in 1791 with Villamina Belshes, the daughter of a well-known lawyer in the city. The young people were in a difficult relationship, since Vinyamina kept Scott a little at a distance for five years. Finally, when a serious conversation took place between the lovers, it turned out that Vinyamina had long been engaged to the son of a local banker, so Walter found himself alone with his broken heart and an unattainable desire to return his first love.
Six years later, he meets an ordinary girl - a saleswoman Charlotte Carpenter, whom he marries six months later. A happy couple has twins. Scott loved children very much and treasured them.
Sir Walter Scott (English Walter Scott; August 15, 1771, Edinburgh - September 21, 1832, Abbotsford, buried in Dryburgh) - world famous British writer, poet, historian, collector of antiquities, lawyer, by birth Scots. He is considered the founder of the genre of the historical novel.
Born in Edinburgh, the son of a wealthy Scottish lawyer Walter John (1729-1799) and Anna Rutherford (1739-1819), daughter of a professor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He was the ninth child in the family, but when he was six months, only three survived. In a family of 13 children, six survived.
In January 1772 he fell ill with infantile paralysis, lost the mobility of his right leg and was forever lame. Twice - in 1775 and in 1777 - he was treated in the resort towns of Bath and Prestonpans.
His childhood was closely associated with the Scottish Borders, where he spent time on his grandfather's farm in Sandinow, as well as at his uncle's house near Kelso. Despite his physical disability, at an early age he struck those around him with a lively mind and phenomenal memory.
In 1778 he returned to Edinburgh. Since 1779 he studied at the Edinburgh School, in 1785 he entered the Edinburgh College. In college, he became interested in mountaineering, got stronger physically, and gained popularity among his peers as an excellent storyteller.
He read a lot, including ancient authors, was fond of novels and poetry, especially emphasized the traditional ballads and legends of Scotland. Together with his friends, he organized the "Poetic Society" at the college, studied the German language and got acquainted with the work of German poets.
The year 1792 becomes important for Scott: at the University of Edinburgh, he passed the bar exam. Since that time, he has become a respectable person with a prestigious profession and has his own legal practice.
In the first years of his independent practice, he traveled a lot around the country, collecting folk legends and ballads about Scottish heroes of the past. He was carried away by translations of German poetry, anonymously published his translations of Burger's ballad "Lenora".
In 1791 he met his first love - Villamina Belshes, the daughter of an Edinburgh lawyer. For five years he tried to achieve reciprocity with Villamina, but the girl kept him in limbo and in the end chose William Forbes, the son of a wealthy banker, whom she married in 1796. Unrequited love was a severe blow for the young man; Particles of Villamina's image subsequently appeared more than once in the heroines of the writer's novels.
In 1797 he married Charlotte Carpenter (Charlotte Charpentier) (1770-1826).
In life, he was an exemplary family man, a good person, sensitive, tactful, grateful; loved his Abbotsford estate, which he rebuilt, making it a small castle; loved trees, pets, a good feast in the family circle.
In 1830 he suffered his first apoplectic stroke, which paralyzed his right arm. In 1830-1831 Scott suffers two more apoplectic strokes.
Currently, a museum of the famous writer is open at the Scott Abbotsford estate.
Unlike the romantics, who sighed about the past, with which they did not have (using their favorite word) an organic continuity, Walter Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish baronet, rightfully considered himself a part of history: his family annals were included in the national chronicle ... In addition, through self-education, he acquired extensive historical and ethnographic knowledge, collected folklore, collected antique books and manuscripts. The grandson of a doctor, the son of a lawyer, he himself became a lawyer, took up legal profession, and then, having married, received the position of sheriff, whose duties he performed until the end of his days. That is why, although the penchant for creativity manifested itself early in Walter Scott, he published his poems for the first time only thirty-three years old, fiction - at forty-two years old. But very soon he seemed to overtake his predecessors.
Truth, the first literary experience published by Walter Scott in 1796, the translation of "Lenora" by Burger, remained practically unnoticed, but when in 1802, during a lively discussion of "Lyric Ballads", Walter Scott published his "Songs of the Scottish Border", and in 1805 the poem "Song of the Last Minstrel", he a favorable reception was given, and the new poet became the recognized leader of a special kind of poetry. Readers distinguished the authentic folklore and ethnographic atmosphere of Walter Scott's poems from the decorative, fantastically mysterious colors of the works of Wordsworth and Coleridge.
Walter Scott's legacy is great: a massive volume of poetry, 41 volumes of novels and stories, 12 volumes of letters, 3 volumes of diaries. Among his ballads and poems, in addition to those already named, the most significant are "Castle Smalholm" (1802), translated by VA Zhukovsky, "Marmion" (1808), "The Lady of the Lake" (1810) and "Rockby" (1813). His historical novels fall into two groups according to national themes - “ scottish", Of which the most important are Waverly (1814), Guy Manning (1815), The Puritans (1816), Rob Roy (1818), and english": Among them the most famous -" Ivanhoe "(1819)," Kenilworth "(1821)," Woodstock "(1826). Some of his novels are based on the history of other countries, France or Byzantium: "Quentin Dorward" (1823), "Count Robert of Paris" (1832) - but the plots in them still intersect with English history. Some novels by Walter Scott himself were combined into cycles - "Tales of the Innkeeper" (these included "The Puritans", "The Black Dwarf", "The Legend of Montrose", etc.); "Tales of the Crusaders" ("The Betrothed", "Talisman"). Grandpa's Tales was conceived as conversations with his grandson about the history of Scotland, but later became a routine chronicle of historical events. The only novel "modern" among Scott's books is St. Ronan's Waters. Other historical and critical works of Walter Scott include the biographies of Dryden, Swift, Napoleon compiled by him, articles about contemporaries, various auto-characteristics in the form of prefaces to his own works. In total, over 70 books by prominent English writers have been edited and published with commentary by Walter Scott. A part of the history of literature has become the diverse friendly and business ties of Walter Scott, in particular, with Burns, Byron, with the Irish novelist Mary Edgeworth, whom he named among his predecessors, with contemporaries from abroad, including Goethe and Fenimore Cooper. For us, of course, Walter Scott's interest in Russia, his correspondence friendship with Denis Davydov, his enthusiastic attitude towards Ataman Platov, relations with representatives of Russian culture Praskovya Golitsyna, Pyotr Kozlovsky and other enlightened Russian travelers who met with him in England are of great importance. and in France.
Walter Scott became a legend during his lifetime. Pilgrims flocked to his Abbatsford estate in the borderlands of Scotland. His novels and some of his poems sold out on the book market beyond any competition. Nevertheless, enjoying universal recognition, having tremendous creative and material success, the writer found himself in difficult circumstances in the mid-1920s. As the head of a publishing firm with a bank debt, he decided to pay for everyone. It cost him incredible work, three apoplectic strokes, the last of which took away his memory, and he died, not realizing that he remained a debtor. Soon, however, Walter Scott was symbolically rewarded: in 1837-1838. published his two-volume biography, which, in turn, became a bestseller, the success of which was surpassed in those years by only one book - "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club."
Question number 1. Social preconditions for the emergence of historical genres in post-revolutionary Europe. V. Scott's political and literary views. Assimilation of the experience of W. Shakespeare and D. Defoe. Characteristics of early work: "Songs of the Scottish Border", historical poems "Lokhinvar", "Battle of Sempach" and "Nora's Oath".
1) As a result of the French Revolution of 1789, revolutionary wars, the rise and fall of Napoleon, interest in history awakened among the masses. During this time, the masses received an unprecedented historical experience. During two or three decades (1789-1814), each of the peoples of Europe experienced more upheavals and upheavals than in previous centuries. There is a growing conviction that history really exists, that it is a process of continuous change and, finally, that history invades the personal life of each person, defines this life. What only a few people had previously experienced, mostly people with adventurous inclinations - to travel and get to know all of Europe, or at least a significant part of it - has now, during the years of the Napoleonic wars, accessible and even necessary for hundreds of thousands and millions people from various segments of the population of almost all European countries. This creates a concrete opportunity for the masses to understand that their entire existence is historically conditioned, to see in history something that intrudes into everyday life - and, therefore, something that every person cares about. On such a social basis, the historical novel, created by Walter Scott, arose.
2) According to his political views, V. Scott was a conservative, tory, a supporter of a "just monarchy", a writer who, with all his sympathy for the suffering of the common people, was a staunch opponent of the revolution.
In December 1819, Scott wrote with melodramatic pathos about the prospect of a civil war - "people go about their usual business with muskets in their hands" - and inflamed himself to the point that the horror of the "rabble" and hatred of it did not allow him even in a small degree to see the obvious: these were his Scottish compatriots, who suffered from unbearable living conditions. “Up to fifty thousand scoundrels are ready to rebel between Mystery and Vir,” he informed his brother Tom on December 23, 1819. In the end, there was no civil war, but Scott, in a zealous warlike fervor, wrote about preparing to recruit volunteers to patrol with them around the province.
All of the above portrays Scott as a dull reactionary of the most extreme persuasion. In reality, however, his political and social views, which hardly changed during his mature life, were well thought out and in a sense insightful. He was horrified and disgusted by the way the Industrial Revolution treated the working people., and Marx himself could agree with his reasoning on this question. The Industrial Revolution destroyed the organic community of people in which Scott deeply believed. He was paternalist; he believed in the rights and obligations imposed by property; he believed in the dignity of the individual. Two excerpts from Scott's letters from 1820 unambiguously reveal his point of view. He advocates arming the poor if they can be relied on, because the most important thing is to prevent a class war, "this most monstrous of evils, a war of servitude, in the spirit of Jack Cade."
"Natural lords" can make us wry, and Scott, although he displayed funny and stupid landlords in the pages of his novels, opposing them to reasonable, dignified peasants, really believed, if we talk about his political convictions, in the natural order of things, putting the landowner (ideally generous, educated and understanding the full measure of his responsibility) at the head of the local community.
Such a deep understanding of the truth puts Scott on a par with the "prophets" of the Victorian era Carlyle, Ruskin and William Morris. It should not be forgotten that the Industrial Revolution began in Scotland (on the banks of the Clyde) during Scott's youth. Before ending the conversation about Scott the politician, it should be added that Scott the Man was by nature humane and generous, kind and caring towards his Abbotsford tenants, and had a great gift for arousing the loyalty and love of those who depended on him.
Studying the past of England, Walter Scott tries to find the "middle" way, find the "middle" between the struggling extremes. From the war of the Saxons with the Normans, the English people arose, in which both warring peoples merged and ceased their separate existence; from the bloody war of the Scarlet and White Roses arose the "glorious" reign of the Tudor dynasty, especially Elizabeth I. The wars that unfolded during the English bourgeois revolution, after long ebb and flow, including the "glorious revolution" of 1688, subsided, modern English society. Scott accepts this progress. He is a patriot, he is proud of the history of his people, and this is one of the prerequisites for creating a true historical novel that makes the truthfully depicted past close and dear to contemporaries.
3) W. Scott came to the historical novel, carefully considering its aesthetics, starting from the well-known and popular in his time gothic and antique novels... The Gothic novel instilled in the reader an interest in the scene of the action, which means that it taught him to correlate events with the specific historical and national soil on which these events developed. In the Gothic novel, the drama of the narrative is enhanced, even the elements of the plot are introduced into the landscape, but the most important thing is that the character received the right to independence of behavior and reasoning, since he also contained a particle of the drama of historical time. The antiquarian novel taught Scott to be attentive to the local flavor, to reconstruct the past professionally and without mistakes, recreating not only the authenticity of the material world of the era, but mainly the originality of its spiritual appearance.
Rejecting rationalism enlighteners of the 18th century. and their ideas about human nature, Scott painted in his historical novels pictures of the life, mores of various classes of English and European society of past eras. At the same time, he was able to touch upon many problems of contemporary sociology, morality, political justice, calling for a lasting peace between states, condemning the perpetrators of unjust wars.
Speaking of Scott as an innovative artist, O. Balzac wrote: “Walter Scott elevated the novel to the level of a philosophy of history ... He brought into it the spirit of the past, united in it drama, dialogue, portrait, landscape, description; included there both the miraculous and the everyday, these elements of the epic, and reinforced poetry with the ease of the simplest dialects. "
4) Shakespeare, as we already know, he dramatized chronicle and chronicle information, his historical plays are populated mainly by well-known, real-life people, among whom, as an exception, fictional characters appear. Walter Scott changes the proportions in the placement of real and fictitious figures. He has the first plan and most of the narrative is occupied by heroes, created by him, while historical figures fade into the background, become episodic. Have Shakespeare there was a legend ahead, forcing its authority to believe what was portrayed in the play; Scott unfolded the chronicle as if from the other end, starting from the pages of private, little-known and fictional. He tests rather than confirms traditions. Shakespeare followed a legend, tradition, embroidering with extraordinary vividness on the canvas of common memory. Walter Scott himself created the canvas, presenting traditional figures anew, in the "homely way" that Pushkin so accurately defined and highly appreciated in his method. Even in "Rob Roy", where the name of a historical person is on the cover and where the fate of this real person is detailed in the preface, Rob Roy appears only at the end of the book, however, gradually constantly present in the conversations of the characters, forming the background from which he himself acts on the stage only at the end of the curtain. Such a rearrangement made it possible to discover the past as if an unknown country, and these pictures of the past "seemed almost miraculous to contemporaries" (BG Reizov).
Walter Scott took advantage of the experience Defoe- the principles of "truthful invention", revealed in "The Adventures of Robinson", and the methods of historical and chronicle narration, used Defoe in the "Diary of the Plague Year", which Walter Scott put especially high: historical material is presented through the lips of a casual, unhistorical person. So in the "Diary" the saddler-narrator operates with statistical data, reporting how many and where the dead were buried, how common graves were dug, etc. - the first person who comes across, an ordinary contemporary, a witness, reports well-known facts drawn from documentary sources, and as a result, the reader learns what is already known and tested, as it were, anew.
Scott considers his predecessor and teacher Henry Fielding; his novel "Tom Jones" is, according to V. Scott, a model of the novel, because in it the story of a private person is given against a wide background of public life, and also because it has a clearly developed plot (the novel is distinguished by the unity of action) and a clear , completed composition.
5) "Songs of the Scottish Border" brings together many of the great Scottish ballads, including Sir Patrick Spence, Johnny Stout Hand, Battle of Ottenbourne, The Raven Flies to the Raven, Lord Ronald, Vigil at the Tomb, The Woman of Asherwell. The publication was beautifully designed, provided with valuable notes, and included texts that Scott undoubtedly "improved" in places (for example, "The raven flies to the raven"). He put a lot of effort into collecting ballads, often recording them from the voice, but his generation did not show scrupulousness in the issue of preserving the texts as they were, the scrupulousness inherent in modern philologists, and Scott believed that he had every right to furtively smooth out the stanza or even replace the original verses with more sonorous and heroic ones. In a letter from 1806, he claimed that he "did not insert into these old Ballads" and referred to the sources of some of the "original recordings"; but there is no doubt that he had a hand in a number of the texts he published, however, for the most part combining different texts, and not replacing the originals.
"Lohinvar"- this is the ballad of V. Scott, which is part of his poem "Marmion"(1808). The brave knight L. appears without an invitation to the marriage ceremony of his former bride Matilda (according to another version - Elena), who, believing L. dead, is going to marry his longtime rival. However, L., who received the right to a farewell dance with the bride, "dances" her on the porch, sits in the saddle and sets off to meet the joint matrimonial happiness.
In pursuit they chased through the ditches, over the hills
And Musgrev, and Forster, and Fenwick, and Gram;
They rode, searched near and far -
The missing bride was not found anywhere.
Per. I. Kozlova
"Marmion" immediately transferred Scott from the poets of the Borderlands, as he appeared in "Minstrel", into the category of national poets.
Battle of Sempach(German Schlacht bei Sempach; July 9, 1386) - a battle between the militia of the Swiss Union and the Austrian troops of the Habsburgs. The defeat of the Austrian army by the Swiss ensured the recognition of the independence of Switzerland by the Habsburgs.
Walter Scott wrote this poem in 1818 as a sign of his respect for small but proud Switzerland, which managed to defend its independence from the Austrian Empire.
Austrian banners in the dust
At Sempach, in battle ...
Many knights have found
My grave is there.
Per. B. Tomashevsky
"Nora's Oath" written in 1816 for the "Anthology of Mr. Kembel" - a collection of poems by famous English poets at the beginning of the century. It was written based on an old Gaelic song, which Scott writes about in a note, specifying the difference between his poem and the original.
But the autumn wind, in its turn,
Their fiery dress will rip off,
And the count is damp until autumn
The mountain woman will be called his wife! "
Per. B. Shmakova
1) In the 18th and early 19th centuries, there was constant debate about whether the genre of the historical novel itself is possible, in other words, whether it is possible to combine historical truth and fiction in one work. Fiction destroys historical truth, distorting events and feelings, and the naked truth cannot give the reader artistic pleasure. According to W. Scott, the task of a historical novel was by no means a strict, scientific, pedantic adherence to facts. In his opinion, the most important thing for a historical novelist is to interpret events so that the modern reader understands them and becomes interested in them: the topic in the language and in the manner of the era you live in. Therefore, the novelist should not get too carried away with archeology and has the right, if the plot requires it, to make factual errors in dates, biographies of historical figures, etc. The main thing, according to V. Scott, is not to separate the sharply ancient from the modern and not forget about "a wide neutral space, that is, about that mass of morals and feelings that are equally characteristic of us and our ancestors, who passed on from them unchanged ..."
"With regard to this preface, the reader should consider it as an expression of the opinions and intentions of the author who undertook this literary work with the proviso that he is far from thinking that he has managed to achieve the ultimate goal."
2) The second way Scott used was to change the relationship between fiction and reality. The story in the works of V. Scott is created by the characters themselves, but they are so imbued with the era, so typical that the story is revealed to the reader more than fully. Pushkin called it the "home way" and greatly admired this approach.
Walter Scott believed that a historical novel would more fully convey to the reader the essence of what was happening in a particular era than scientific research. After all, the world of psychology and human passions is much closer to us than dry historical facts.
3) "Ivanhoe" (1819) - one of the most interesting and significant novels by W. Scott. The action of the novel dates back to the end of the 12th century, that is, to the period of the establishment of feudal relations in medieval England. The struggle between the Anglo-Saxons, who had lived on the territory of England for several centuries, and the Norman conquerors, who conquered England at the end of the 11th century, dates back to this time. It was a struggle between Anglo-Saxon and Norman feudal lords. It was complicated by social contradictions between the serfs and feudal lords (both Normans and Anglo-Saxons). The national conflict was closely intertwined with the social one. At the same time, during this period, there was a struggle for the centralization of royal power, the struggle of King Richard against the feudal lords. The process of centralizing England was a historically progressive phenomenon, for it paved the way for the rise of the English nation.
In his novel, Scott faithfully reflected this difficult era of rebuilding England, the process of transforming disparate fiefs into a single kingdom.
The conflict of the novel boils down to the struggle of the rebellious feudal nobility, interested in preserving the political fragmentation of the country, against the royal power, which embodied the idea of a single centralized state. This conflict is very typical of the Middle Ages. King Richard the Lionheart in the novel acts as the bearer of the idea of centralized royal power, drawing his support from the people. Symbolic in this regard is the joint storming of the Fronne de Beuf castle by the king and the riflemen of Robin Hood. The people together with the king against the rebellious clique of feudal lords- this is the ideological meaning of this episode.
The plot of "Ivanhoe" is largely driven by enmity between King Richard's close knight Ivanhoe and the sinister templar Briand de Boisguille-beru. An important role in the development of the plot is also played by the episode of the capture of Cedric Sachs and his companions by the soldiers of de Bracy and Boisguillebert. Finally, the attack by Robin Hood's riflemen on Thorkilston, Castle Fron de Boeuf, is motivated by their desire to free the prisoners. It can be seen that the events shown by Scott, seemingly of a private nature, reflect conflicts of a historical scale.
4) The main conflicts of the novel stem from both national and social contradictions that took place in the country. Revealing contradictions between representatives of the old Anglo-Saxon nobility (Cedric, Athelstan) and the Norman feudal lords (Norman knights Fron de Boeuf, de Malvoisin, de Bracy), W. Scott shows the inevitability of the collapse of all claims of the Saxon nobility and the Saxon dynasty to restore the old order. It is no coincidence that Athelstan, the last descendant of the Saxon kings, is shown in the novel as a lazy and inactive man, an obese glutton who has lost the ability to actively act. And even Cedric is the embodiment of the virtues of the old Anglo-Saxon nobility, who came out to defend their national honor and ancestral possessions, even he, despite all his courage, determination, firmness, is not able to prevent anything from happening. The Normans win and this victory historically logical; it means the victory of a new social order with complicated forms of feudalism, with complete feudal exploitation, with class hierarchy, etc. Patriarchal relations defeated by feudalism, the cruelty of which is convincingly revealed by the writer.
V. Scott also pays much attention to the struggle of the peasants with the Norman conquerors... The peasants hate them as oppressors.
The song, sung by the peasant-slave Wamba, expresses the attitude of the peasants to the Norman feudal lords:
Norman saws on our oaks
Norman yoke on our shoulders
Norman spoon in English porridge,
The Normans rule our homeland.
In his novel, Scott gives very sharp social characteristics of the oppressor feudal lords, and not only Norman, but also Anglo-Saxon. W. Scott paints a realistic picture of the brutality of the feudal order and customs.
Question number 3. Material and spiritual culture of the Middle Ages as a living background of the action of the novel. Detailed description of life and customs: Anglo-Saxons and Normans. The concept of "local color".
1) The Middle Ages are depicted in the novel as a bloody and dark period. Scott's novel gives an idea of the boundless arbitrariness of the feudal lords, the transformation of knightly castles into robber dens, the powerlessness and poverty of peasants, the cruelty of knightly tournaments and the inhuman trials of witches. The era appears in all its severity. The author's democratic sympathies were manifested in the sharply negative characteristics of the nobility and clergy. The treacherous Prince John, the corrupted and rapacious chivalry - the fierce Front de Boeuf, the insidious Voldemar Fitz Urs, the unprincipled de Bracy - this is a gallery of robber feudal lords who rob the country and its people, inciting civil strife. Even in the image of Cedric, who is in a camp other than all these conquerors, Scott emphasizes excessive vanity, boundless despotism and stubbornness.
Scott considered serious problems and historical accuracy to be the condition for creating a truly historical novel. The writer carefully and conscientiously studied historical monuments, documents, costumes, customs. V.G.Belinsky wrote: “When we read the historical novel by Walter Scott, then, as it were, we ourselves become contemporaries of the era, citizens of the countries in which the event of the novel takes place, and we get a more correct concept about them, in the form of living contemplation, than what anybody else could give us about them. history".
But still the main thing in Scott's novels is not the depiction of everyday life and customs, but the depiction of history in its movement and development.
2) He paints pictures of the bloody struggle of the Saxon feudal lords and peasants with the Norman conquerors, creates expressive portraits of the Saxon Thans, lower in culture than the Normans, rude and extremely arrogant Norman aristocrats who despise the people and insult the national dignity of the Saxons.
Scott did not regard the ancient freedom of the Anglo-Saxons as barbarism and anarchy, but he did not consider Anglo-Saxon society as a kind of idyll. He urged to evaluate the “ancient freedom” of the Anglo-Saxons differentially: the “freedom” of the Anglo-Saxon leader Cedric, who sought independence from the conquerors, differed from the “freedom” of his swineherd Gurt, because the relationship between them is the relationship between the master and the servant.
By 1066 the Normans were at a higher level of civilization and culture than the native inhabitants of Britain and the Anglo-Saxons who conquered them. The technical and military backwardness of the Welsh and Anglo-Saxons was evident. Scott believed that the Norman conquest of England accelerated the process of feudalization of the country, which in turn led to the establishment of stronger royal power and, therefore, to the centralization of the country. The Welsh carefully preserved the national traditions and customs of their ancestors and at the same time did not shy away from the innovations brought by the winners, even borrowing from them details of clothing. And this did not humiliate them at all, while the fierce adherence to the old traditions, which was shown by Cedric Sachs in "Ivanhoe" or Lady Baldringham in "Betrothed", only hindered the historical development of the nation.
"Ivanhoe" depicts the XII century, until recently there were the Anglo-Saxons, the conquest of the Normans. And there you can clearly see what modern Englishmen are. This is the Anglo-Saxon root system, revised by the Normans. Redesigned in every way: everyday, social, psychological, cultural. In "Ivanhoe" it is remarkably emphasized that the Anglo-Saxon language, the indigenous language, the language of the natives - it remained only in the lower strata of society, it is the language of everyday life, the language of the lower classes and everyday life. And the language of war, hunting and love is the language of the Normans. Very accurate analysis. In modern English, the linguistic layer of higher, refined concepts - it is almost all of French origin, Norman. And the household layer is of Germanic, Saxon origin.
3) Local flavor(French. couleur locale) - a concept both geographical and historical. It presupposes a fascination with the exoticism of other eras, other lands and their detailed description.
Scott was not among the discoverers of the local flavor. He himself recognizes the primacy for the "Gothic novel" of H. Walpole "Castle of Otranto" (1765), in which he especially appreciates the intention "through a carefully thought out plot and carefully reproduced historical flavor of those times, to evoke similar associations in the mind of the reader and prepare him for the perception of miracles, congenial to the beliefs and feelings of the characters in the narrative ”.
These words were written by Scott in 1820 in the preface to the new edition of H. Walpole's novel. By this time, he himself had far surpassed the skill of his predecessor in the ability to create the illusion of the past.
History connoisseur, W. Scott does not idealize the past at all, it shows the world is rough, cruel and dangerous, where an ordinary trip from the estate to the city is possible only under the cover of an armed detachment, which also does not guarantee a successful ending - anything can happen on the way. In addition, the author slyly notes, describing the luxurious chambers of Lady Rowena, readers should hardly be jealous of the apartments of the medieval beauty - the walls of the house are so badly poked that it blows out of them, and the draperies are constantly swaying from this. However, discomfort did not occupy the minds of people of that time, for them it was the norm and did not matter in comparison with another problem - to constantly be on the alert, preparing to repel an attack and protect their lives.
Scott also appreciated the local flavor, but he liked to feel the dissimilarity of the eras, not in order to oppose them. The main thing for him was to understand the connection between the past and the present, to discover in history the origins of today's problems and events.
Scott knows history not only from folk legends and songs. Already a famous novelist, he compared himself with his numerous successors and imitators: “In order to gain knowledge, they have to read old books and cope with collections of antiquities, but I write because I have read all these books a long time ago and, thanks to a strong memory, have information that they have to search. As a result, their historical details are pulled by the hair ... ”(entry in the diary dated 11/18/1826).
Question number 4. Features of the figurative structure. The role and place of historical figures. New possibilities for realistic typing of fictional characters. Popular masses as the driving force of history. Image of social relationships.
1) Obviously, Scott's historical characters are fictional as well as non-historical ones. Documents and all sorts of information about the era, of course, are necessary for the novelist, but often he must abandon their despotism, which could interfere with historical creativity. Of the same considerations Scott tried to free himself from historical characters and introduced many fictional ones into his novels in order to freely seek and create the truth. A fictional character can embody more historical truth than a historical character; in order to create and, therefore, explain a fictional character, one can draw on more information about the moral life, everyday life, the existence of the masses - information that is absent in documents, but determines the nature of the entire era.