THE CONCEPTS OF UNFREEDOM AND SLAVERY IN ARTISTIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF T. SHEVCHENKO

Abstract

The study deals with the differences between physical unfreedom and slavery as a spiritual category in Taras Shevchenko’s poetry. We observe the transformation of the image of the Ukrainian people in the poetry of the fourth period of creativity, compared to the previous ones. Traditionally during the first three periods of Taras Shevchenko’s work the image of Ukrainians is shown as an object of abuse, a victim of circumstances, a martyr of lords, colonizers – one who suffers from the unmercy of God. In the poetry of the fourth period, the Ukrainian people appear in the image of slaves – through the worship of untruth, the silent indulgence of evil – which causes the poet rejection, anger and condemnation. Life outside the truth has no value for Taras Shevchenko.

In the mind of the artist, the concepts of freedom, truth and word (which have the highest value) – are inseparable, like slavery, untruth, silence. At the same time, unfreedom and slavery for the artist are not synonymous concepts, or even – antithetical.

Shevchenko's images of the tsar and slaves, we are convinced, are not an oppositional pair, but as a rule are complementary: slaves need the tsar as much as he needs them, slaves show their adaptation to the tyranny of slavery. The chain tsar – slaves and multi-stage slavery can be traced in a number of works of the analyzed period. However, the most eloquent is the scene of the “general battle” of the poem “Dream (Everyone has their own destiny)”. It seems that there is no middle ground between a tsar and a slave. On the other hand, T. Shevchenko's oppositional pair is the tsar as the parent of slavery – fighters for freedom as unconquered, those who did not accept slavery, and slaves – fighters for freedom.

External shackles enslave only physically, says the poet, the most destructive is the internal enslavement, which the author notices in his own nation, as a consequence of long conciliatory existence in Ukraine enslaved by the Russian Empire. “Falling under the yoke”, deadly indifference due to its longevity are reflected on the spiritual face of the nation. In his reflections on the enslavement of Ukrainians by the empire, the poet also comes to the conclusion that, in fact, the point of the root of enslavement and development of imperial power is in “inclination” of Ukrainians, their nonresistance to Moscow oppression.

Shevchenko notes that under enslavement the people are degradated. The author speaks of slavery as helplessness, acceptance of untruths and lack of human dignity. And the word is able to resist evil and untruth.

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