M. Dolengo's literary criticism

Abstract

Aim. The proposed study aims to emphasize the need to study Ukrainian proletarian discourse, and, in particular, the literary criticism of Mykhailo Dolengo (1896–1981). The author of the article generalizes and analyzes the main thematic and theoretical directions of Dolengo’s literary criticism.

Methods. Historical-literary analysis based on the systematic approach and on the principles of historical-genetic research.

Results. Dolengo's literary-critical activity was aimed at the development of normative proletarian poetics through the use of scientific «materialist» criticism. Additionally, the problem of artistic style in the situation of a new historical (Soviet) reality was at the center of his attention. Noteworthy of Dolengo’s criticism is that he always pointed to the unrealized nature of «proletarian realism», stylistic eclecticism and the deformed and historically varied phenomena of proletarian discourse.

Scientific novelty. The main corpus of Dolengo’s literary-critical works was analytically described for the first time.

Practical significance. The article can be used to study the history of Ukrainian literature and Ukrainian literary criticism of the first half of the twentieth century.