The Power and Genius of Alexander Pushkin’s The Queen of...

The Power and Genius of Alexander Pushkin’s The Queen of Spades In Alexander Pushkin’s â€Å"The Queen of Spades,† many aspects of the short story have made for considerable debate among scholars. Pushkin fills an integral role in Russian literary history, and there are abundant research sources to use in analyzing and interpreting his texts. Pushkin is often referred to as the Father of Modern Russian Literature, but until just recently much of the criticism on Pushkin focused on Pushkin himself as the author, the innovative simplicity in his prose, or the political relationship between Pushkin and the Russian aristocracy. Pushkin’s personal life was often the subject of public debate among his readers and the Russian aristocracy,†¦show more content†¦Evelyn Bristol reviewed Greenleaf’s book and determined the thesis stated that Pushkin’s works were endeavors to define and express himself in segments or fragments in romantic style (Bristol 127). In another review by Caryl Emerson, Greenleaf’ s argument is defined as a complete opposite of Bristol’s interpretation. From Greenleaf’s investigation, Emerson expounds that Pushkin attempted to portray nothing of himself in his writing for fear of the honor code that dictated everyday life. It is described as â€Å"pre-psychological age of Russian literature† in that Pushkin did not at all illustrate any characteristics of himself in his writing including personal documents and correspondence with family and friends. The inverse deductions of Greenleaf’s thesis are hardly sporadic. New scholars are unable to determine the best sources of intellectual research when the research that is available is contradictory. Neil Cornwell’s â€Å"Pushkin’s The Queen of Spades† is another article that has received mixed reviews from audiences. In Victor Terra’s review of the study, he congratulates Cornwell on a commendable analysis. He describes Cornwell’s piece as obje ctive and patient. Terras commends Cornwell for his use of the basic