English, Russian, Ukrainian writers’ letters as a component of romantic orientalism

Abstract

The creation of the Oriental is a major component of Romanticism. Essentially the Eastern Other is understood from the position of the traveler, the pilgrim, the scientist, the political prisoner and others. Under the influence of these social and author’s factors the poetics of the Romanticization of the Oriental takes shape in different models, combining and interacting with each other.

This comparative and imagological article is devoted to a description of the poetical features of the Romanticized Oriental from the position “of a traveler,” “of a scientist” and “of an exile” on the basis of epistolary materials from English, Russian and Ukrainian romantic writers. Sir William Jones’ Indian, A.Odoevsky’s and A.Bestuzhev-Marlinsky’s Siberian, A.Pushkin’s, A.Bestuzhev - Marlinsky’s, M.Lermontov’s and J.Polonsky’s Caucasian, T.Shevchenko’s Steppe etc. will be examined. Some European oriental perceptions, images and stereotypes such as “East – anti-West,” the image of Asian woman (Georgian, Dagestanians etc.) as a belle, the colonial stereotypes about the savagery and robber nature of the Caucasian tribes etc. will be described. Special attention will be devoted to the role of stereotypes.