Lithuanian essay: between the soviet era and independence

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Argumentacinė esė; Esė; Kritinė esė; Lietuvių postmodernizmas; Naracinė esė; Nepriklausomybė; Poetinė esė; Sovietmetis; Argumentative essay; Critical essay; Essay; Independence; Lithuanian postmodernism; Narrativ essay; Poetic essay; Soviet era.

ENThe author of the following article analyzes Lithuanian literary and critical essay writing during the Sąjūdis period and after the restoration of independence. In Western literature, the 20th century is often called the age of the essay, while Lithuanian essay writing was suppressed during a large portion of the 20th century: the context of Soviet occupation was radically adverse to the genre, which is usually dominated by the personal positions of the author. Essays were largely absent from the official literature during the period of occupation, although there were texts written that, on the surface, rhetorically imitated the essay style. When Lithuania regained its independence, and when the barriers of "wholly explanatory" ideological schema fell, there was a real explosion in essay writing. During the first decade of independence, essay writing in Lithuania was dominated by journalistic origins (political and cultural engagement is highlighted); the most valuable of these texts analyzed the experience of occupation and the post-Communist crisis of values, emphasized the importance of personal responsibility, and encouraged a constructive and positive view of the cultural future of the nation.During the second decade of independence, on the contrary, belletrist and poetic aspects of the essay were dominant. The tendency of essay writing to manipulate the genre in a postmodern mode, as free and not binding, became apparent. In the 21th century, Lithuanian essay writing developed a concern for individual experience, everyday aesthetics (anti-aesthetics). Critical essay writing also became popular - the development of personal reflections in the context of the study of literary works, creative writing about literature that combines an inherent analysis of the text with a centrifugal cultural studies perspective. [text from author]