Tautinė literatūra ir tautinė valstybė

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Nacionalinė literatūra; Nacionalinė valstybė; Neoromantizmas; Simbolizmas; Tautinė literatūra; Tautinė valstybė; Totalitarizmas; National literature; National state; Neoromanticism; Symbolism; Totalitarianism.

ENFor a subjugated nation, the image of independent state shines like an ideal destination. In a literary work, this level of ideal images becomes a vision of the future and axis of its architectonics. Utopian projects for the development of the country motivate the plot and the psychological evolution of characters (Kazys Puida's novel "The Hymnof the Land", 1913; Ignas Šeinius' novella "The Raging Waves", 1913). Attempts are made to base the idea of statehood on historical arguments: we are reestablishing our state (Vincas Krėvė's "Šarūnas 1913). Lithuanian soldiers are buried in mounds but a miraculous word will awaken them (Vaižgantas' "Breaks in the clouds", 1918-1920). The establishment of the independent state of Lithuania brought about essential changes in national literature altering its content and goals. Statehood became a reality which could be critically observed thus raising social awareness, self-criticism, responsibility and giving a wish to perfect forms of governance (Antanas Vienuolis' novel "Before Dawn", 1925; Juozas Grušas' novel "The Self-Seekers", 1935).Writers learned to distinguish government actions, which may be temporal and even wrong, from sovereignty of state which equals the historical and legal personification of the nation itself. The sovereignty of state becomes the precondition for the artistic expression of human independence. The character dared to stay within himself and to search for the solution of all problems as an individual not leaving them as the responsibility of society or state (Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas' novel "In the Shade of Altars", 1932-1933; Henrikas Radauskas collection of poems "The Fountain", 1935). The consolidated state could bear to listen to the voices of the left opposition that agitated against "the burgeois system" and for the socialist alternative (Petras Cvirka's novel "The Caring Land", 1935). The autocratic state of Lithuania nourished a pluralistic literature, like the democratic states of the West. [text from author]