Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences
of the Russian Academy of Sciences
LITERATUROVEDCHESKII
ZHURNAL
The Journal of Literary History and Theory
Peer-reviewed Academic Journal

“EVERYTHING IS DONE IN THE MOST HONEST WAY…”: FRANZ KAFKA AND PASCALE CASANOVA ON THE PHENOMENON OF “SMALL LITERATURES”

Соколова Е.В.

Abstract

The article presents the views of Franz Kafka (1883–1924) on the actively studied nowadays phenomenon of “small literatures” – first of all, in the field of sociology of literature. Kafka’s views are compared with the ideas about the socio-cultural dynamics of “small literatures” in the “world literary space”, set forth by the French sociologist of culture Pascale Сasanova (1959–2018) in her widely cited work “La République mondiale des Lettres” (1999). The Austrian writer, who “cracked” the cultural codes of his time, by his own literary fate partly refutes the theoretical constructions of Pierre Bourdieu (Сasanova’s scientific adviser) and therefore becomes for her both a challenging subject of research and a dialogue partner (in the chapter “Small Literatures”).

Keywords

Franz Kafka; Pascale Сasanova; Pierre Bourdieu; sociology of literature; “small literatures”.

For citation

Sokolova, E.V. “‘Everything is Done in the Most Honest Way…’: Franz Kafka and Pascale Casanova on the Phenomenon of ‘Small Literatures’”, Literaturovedcheskii zhurnal, no. 2(60), 2023, pp. 207–217. DOI: 10.31249/litzhur/2023.60.12

DOI: 10.31249/litzhur/2023.60.12

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