Problems of Bakhtin's Theory about "Polyphony" Author(s): Qian Zhongwen Reviewed work(s): Source: New Literary History, Vol.

28, No. 4, Philosophical Thoughts (Autumn, 1997), pp. 779790 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20057455 . Accessed: 24/08/2012 11:43
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Problems

of Bakhtin's Qian

Theory Zhongwen

about

"Polyphony"

The

problem of "polyphony," almost put forward by Bakhtin half a century ago in his study of Dostoevsky's now has novels, a quite influential become of with much narration prac theory tical significance. The "polyphonic" deals first of all with the heroes in phenomenon fiction. In Bakhtin's own the Dostoevskian "hero has his opinion, has an independent and, meanwhile, nature; he ideological authenticity as a creator be who his own complete might regarded possessed the "polyphonic" phenomenon also relates to the ideology."1 Secondly, between the hero and his author. The hero, to Bakhtin's relationship not "is the to issue his mind, object through which the author manages speech" (PD 28); that is to say, the hero's argument with both himself and the world has the same value as that of the author. "Just like
Goethe's Prometheus, what Dostoevsky created was not a speechless

slave (as created by Zeus), but a free man who could place himself in an equal position with his creator, being able to refute the latter's opinions and even revolt against him" (PD 28-29). Thirdly, the breakup of the above-mentioned in this critic's would, eyes, relationship surely lead to a in structure the of fiction. Bakhtin profound change Thereupon,
assumed that the fictions in the past were all under the complete

control of their authors, so in spite of their different characters having been woven there remained but together with each other, nothing
"homophony," namely, a sort of "monologic fiction." As for the Dos

instead of falling into this category, they were novels, "poly phonic fiction," namely, a sort of "all-round dialogic fiction" (PD 76). has its originality. To Surely, Bakhtin's theory about "polyphony" works with this theory captures the major feature analyze Dostoevskian of the celebrated Russian novelist. As a matter of fact, Dostoevskian
heroes they are are more fond of complicated self-analysis than and full those of appearing ideas. In in short, ordinary novels; "self-conscious

toevskian

is "the main artistic element in the structure of his heroes" (PD 121). In his novels Dostoevsky sought "to create the hero who could the hero embody a kind of special view of both the world and himself, who could embody the standpoint of human and beings' thinking on themselves comment and the relationship between them and the is to say, the heroes themselves surrounding reality" (PD 82). That
New Literary History, 1997, 28: 779-790

ness"

780
explored

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HISTORY

so that their thinking became reality and themselves, For example, artistic the author's description. major object of none other was in the Man Notes from Underground Underground
such a self-explorer. Since the features of many contradictory ideas

the the than

were

in this hero's body, mixed that possessed the value

accepted as "one of the

of a sort of ideology they were an embodiment itself: he may after all be of completeness
representatives of the living generation."2

Though
almost all

there have
researchers

been
set a

a good
low value

number
on his

of papers
language,

on Dostoevsky,
a move probably

the new discovered the contrary, Bakhtin by Tolstoy.3 On its structure of language, in Dostoevsky's feature namely, integrated that that it was the dialogue strong "dialogic nature." He asserted content of "polyphony." Bakhtin the fundamental formed regarded all as "monologic that only fiction prior to Dostoevsky's fiction," assuming In fiction." the created had "monologic "dialogic genuine Dostoevsky the object of thinking, and not the "another person becomes fiction," tends one who can think himself (PD 29). In such a case, "monologue initiated to become
and reality, dialogues.

the final
to

conclusion;
the to in fact,

it has covered
subjective take part a sort of in

up
social

the depicted
of characters. intercourse

world
In and in

characters,"4 however, This

neglecting live means "is,

nature

relation

all-embracing

phenomenon,

as well as manifestations of it seeps into all languages, all relationships and valuable fields" (PD all the significant human life, and permeates out lies in pointing 77). The succinct point of this theory of Bakhtin's the fact that if a writer wants to make his literary work reflect reality in a to depict his characters with truthful and sincere way, he must manage their subjectivity all he must and consequently, strengthen objectivity, the more. Only in this way can his purpose be achieved through their their multifari of infiltration further mutual and thinking complicated
ous relationships. The terms "large-scale dialogue" and "micro-type

put dialogue" means by which

The ters' "large-scale relationship,

forward

are none other than by Bakhtin his artistic task. fulfilled Dostoevsky
dialogue" that is, touches "counterpoint." upon the Glinka, structure the

the important
of famous the charac Russian

it is once said, "In life, everything being in counterpoint, composer, this of counterpoint."5 called the phenomenon Dostoevsky appreciated voices is "the different in fiction it expresses idea very much. What same subject in their specific way."6 This kind of phenom singing the
enon, such as the antagonistic combination of different characters, can

be found
"micro-type distinctive dialogues

everywhere
dialogue" feature. took the

in his novels. As for Bakhtin,

in multifarious For form instance, of the so character's forms far as

his exposition
an concerned, yet, even

of the
more some of

possessed form is

monologue,

it is a sort

PROBLEMS

OF BAKHTIN'S

THEORY

781

an inner that is to say, while making containing dialogues: monologue both with himself and he still continued his dialogue monologue, amidst dialogues; that is others. Other forms included making dialogue to say, the hero's dialogue each echoing the epilogue, the contained in concert with both those in the front and other in a sly way, working those at the back and reacting to each other's innermost mentality; we
may answer." call such These a phenomenon are well dialogues "antiphonal in tune dialogue" the with or "large-scale "retorting dia

was fond of out the best in each other. Dostoevsky bringing to full of voices attention with great aspirations; he was people's listening logues,"
"good at reading out the arguing element from a voice, making every

contradiction dialogue
the

in two persons" "the relationship (PD 70). To his mind, could be sounded out at any place and in all manifestations
and understood human life. For him, where conscious

of of had
to

acquainted

ness
great open

began,
originality, soul the

there
or

dialogue
an

began"
artistic a

(PD 77). All

atmosphere, force. Dostoevsky's

these dialogues
using These fiction. repetition

converged

into

creating to produce a marvelous

spectacle

heart-stirring in

procedures Bakhtin's

feature of Dostoevsky's is penetrat heroes analysis of the psychological an can as and his elaboration be ing original idea in sagacious regarded theoretical studies. So, it is no wonder that his terms, such as "polyph
ony," "dialogue," as well as "incompleteness"?which we have not dis

accepted (AV309). in Bakhtin's the question of how to However, theory of "polyphony," to draw a line of demarcation still needs be discussed further. First, the formation of "polyphonic is due to the fiction," as Bakhtin asserted, of the for him, emergence phenomenon; "polyphony" "polyphonic fiction has the nature of all-round dialogue" (PD 76). But, I think this critics
argument is made perhaps somewhat in terms of absolutes. At its

cussed here?have

been widely

and applied

by literary and art

beginning,
monologues: seventeenth

European
for instance, centuries.

fiction
the At that

was written
picaresque time, novels

generally
fiction like in the

in the
the sixteenth

form
work

of
and

anonymous

Little Lasaron were

of the monologic type; the events of their stories were all with nearly tinged "legendary" color, and at times they even had uttered of their heroes, the mouths the dialogues. Though through
content of speech was none other than what these heroes had seen and

the period of Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, one fiction gradually became more On the there hand, complicated. to novels were like Gil Bias and Tom which emerge began Jones, influenced fiction; on the other, a vogue began of diary by picaresque During
style and letter-style novels. Before long, the latter had not only thrown

heard.

off gradually

the events

of adventure

and happy

encounter,

but also

782
changed to indulge in conveying fervor and

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dissecting

emotions,

such

as

The Sorrows of Young Werther, Rousseau's La Nouvelle Heloise and A Laurence Sterne's Sentimental Confessions, Journey, and so forth. The were more often than not in and of these novels dialogues subject object their the whereas novel from which one writers, arranged specially by could hear some sound of polyphony, such as Diderot's Rameau sNephew, was as scarce as footfalls in an empty valley (rarity of rarities). In the Goethe's
nineteenth century, novels were generally written in the third person,

and

a flourishing the eventually appeared, spectacle: of dialogues and monologues; the fusion of epic and lyric, combination the dissolving of narration, diary, letters, dramatic elements, and psycho a self-dissection into and logical unique identity. Serializing unifying all there therefore,
these of elements, narration Dickens, in novel Balzac, writing. and Turgenev set up a complete system

of

Nevertheless, ony" that he with

introversion

blazed new trails. It was by applying "polyph Dostoevsky fiction and strengthened, enriched nineteenth-century to closer the of forms life, the subjective analysis psychological
of characters as well as the openness of fictional form; that

is to say, Dostoevsky's "polyphony" conventional story whose beginning

in advance. However, the emergence

weakened
of new

the sealed and end are designed

procedures did

nature
not

of the

by the writer
collapse

all its merits. Once it by aestheticizing the unified system; it continued came it became the principle the aestheticized into identity being was it all that this unit would become a narrations; governing impossible new Tower of Babel and topple over in a single day. On the contrary, it and multifari the structure of fiction more complicated actually made
ous in form. In fact, if we investigate Dostoevsky's own creations, we find

fiction contained monologues that his polyphonic and, what is more, were well combined with dialogues. Take his Notes from the monologues that it is full of "multivocal" the Underground, for instance; regardless its story in monologic form. We the novel still unfolds phenomena,
cannot Some of say, his therefore, novels, such that it is a sort of "all-round as The Brothers Karamazov, dialogized" the possess fiction. character

istics of an open structure, yet taken as a whole, they do not avoid the we we a if will surely discover bit further, element. Besides, go monologic
that apart from its manifestations in structure, the so-called "poly

phonic" phenomenon it usually and, moreover,

ill-fated heroes was in a

existed

in the few heroes of his fiction mainly the innermost world of these when happened
tense state. For example, the characteris

highly

tics of

the

"multivocal is inseparable
after committing attacks

Raskolnikov
Napoleon successive

part" displayed from the fact

his crime, behavior he his

in that
was and

the

image instead of becoming

unable to became endure a "trem

structure

of a
the

moral

upon

finally

PROBLEMS

OF BAKHTIN'S

THEORY

783
felt that this action was no different
with others became estranged and

bling
than

animal." When
self-destruction,

Raskolnikov
his relationship

the distance between him and his kinsmen grew farther and farther. The and arguments in the that is, the dialogues so-called "polyphony," was of heroes' the innermost monologue, their hearts precisely product their consciousness embittered and wavering, full of being extremely and compromise, and their whole mentality losing its antagonism balance. ored
ness.

Through
as

phenomena
But,

the multicol all of this, the result tortuously reflected of the time and the deposit of historical conscious
of fact, the speech and conduct of Lazumixin

a matter

(probably, Bakhtin would not this particular feature; possess

them when compared to

look upon him as a "hero") failed in description there is no difference

in ordinary fiction. So far

to of

characters

as we

know, by the time Dostoevsky was working on Crime and Punishment, he to write it in the first person and with diary entries. Later on, intended however, he gave up this plan. He sensed that to write in the first person it would, of course, bring about a strong color of subjectivity and make more to grasp the dialectics for the author of his hero's possible a in innermost such it would be difficult for case, struggles, yet, probably the author to describe the personality in a broader of other characters to point out here that and more objective way.7 Of course, it is necessary the objective method of narration afterwards is applied by Dostoevsky different and Balzac. Generally, from that used by Turgenev the latter made it a habit to describe the environment, place, time, and conduct in
detail. In addition, these novelists would sometimes make some com

ments

their heroes. The static touch thus occupied the leading sort their in narratives. As for this of is, position Dostoevsky, description no doubt, also a component of the method of narration in his part
fiction. to However, scenes it is describe by and no means a characters major in a one moving and he does He his manages utmost to way.

on

project and convey eyesight and mood

near, right or left,

these in accordance with as if these are a camera

and making the close-up

the movement of his hero's at will far and lens moving

descriptions with the

in the field of analyzing gaze. Meanwhile, subjective to his let heroes do the analysis them characters, Dostoevsky preferred on their behalf; selves as far as possible rather than writing such a even would sometimes be All shorthand of description type. jumping,
these artistic means strengthened the particular feature of his charac

color of his hero's

so far as the ters' subjectivity. However, between heroes and relationship the description of their mental and other states is crisis, transformation, remained the medium. his concerned, Therefore, monologue usually fiction is still composed of both monologues and dialogues. in his notebook the principle he had Secondly, while mentioning

784
adopted, Dostoevsky wrote, "The principle

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I'm

now

pursuing

is

to

discover

Man

in the body
realism. .

of human
. . Some

beings
people

by way of carrying
used to regard me

out
as

a
a

thoroughgoing

but in fact, that iswrong: I'm a realist in the highest sense; psychologist, that is to say, what I want to depict is the man's whole heart of hearts" asserted that this passage should be apprehended (PD 100). Bakhtin to fulfill his new task from the following three aspects: (1) "He managed means out of 'to depict the realism,' namely, by carrying 'thoroughgoing man's whole heart of hearts'"; (2) In order to accomplish this new task,
"it is not enough a to practice monologue-type realism . . . , so, with an

attempt
to take

to 'discover man
special means,

in the body of human

namely, the 'realism

beings,'
in the

it is necessary
highest sense'";

denied flatly that he was a "psychologist" (3) Dostoevsky (PD 100). as a whole, context the it is obvious that the central idea Taking on in Bakhtin's is his emphasis explanation expressed "polyphony," a man's because it is through "polyphony" that the writer can perceive heart of hearts and make his creative method become "realism in the can be sense." No doubt this explanation of Bakhtin's highest accepted as an a that is to say, Bakhtin original view, but it is partial viewpoint; honors In his opinion, and belittles monologue. it was "polyphony" in discovering succeeded "man" in through "polyphony" that Dostoevsky human beings. What is the novelist's view of man? Is "polyphony" the only channel through which this goal can be attained? concluded that "man" was both social and biological. He Dostoevsky
himself belonging once pointed is concerned, out, "man belongs totally it is not to society, so at all."8 He but, also so said, far "any as his man

is complicated, and he is as deep as the sea"; both kindness and evil inherent in the body of originally exist in his body, and the individualism view, every man in civilized society is hard to get rid of. In Dostoevsky's
"man changing is a kind incessantly. of organism Moreover, that can be his transformed."9 transformation, Man there during keeps is no

lack of unexpectedness and illogical elements. Thus, instead of looking at him in a plain and shallow way, the writer should go deep into his his experiences in their various heart of hearts, trying to understand
forms.

Since man

is originally

born

as an individual these claims

and at the same

time Can

appear incessantly, contradictory. keeps changing Some critics say that it can be done by putting these be reconciled? universal kindness and love, namely, the forward the ideal embodying to human beings all over the world. However, love attributed Christian
Dostoevsky's understanding of "man," on the one hand, had a strong

point;
full

that is, instead of oversimplifying

the complex nature

his heroes,
of man and

the novelist
his various

took into
realistic

consideration

PROBLEMS

OF BAKHTIN

' S THEORY

785
could be "transformed"; on the other

desires,

pointing

out

that

man

it also had its weakness because the novelist the hand, exaggerated function of physiological and even pathological in social life. elements His argument was tinged with the abstract nature of the moral ideal. As in to his creative the work, Dostoevsky expressed sought depict complex nature of man and his "possibility of being "In the transformed."
rotation of life, when an immoral man seeks normal and natural

a good one" (LL 447). He urged affection, suddenly become that while studying the face of a man, the artist should find out the main there, even though the expression was thoroughly thoughts expressed he may
concealed. "From a photo one can see a man's original as features, yet, it is

still quite
blink, Actually, ideals were in

possible

that Napoleon
may novels, than after the prince

may
all

behave
be accepted

like a fool
a mild the

in another
man."10 shadows and of so

whereas

Bismarck

Dostoevsky's none other

characters Myshkin,

possessing Alexis Karamazov,

forth. Nevertheless, itwas due to the fulfillment of this complicated task had discovered that Dostoevsky the "man" in human beings, and that, to the application instead of confining himself of "polyphony," he numerous this task artistic other channels. The accomplished through novelist often depicted his characters' heart of hearts at the juncture their thought and their fate; for example, witness between the descrip tion of the heroes in The Idiot and Crime and Punishment. At the time the
consciousness of these heroes was being situated in the rotation and

to express the sudden change reversal, applied a shorthand in their psychological state: to display his heroes' mental confusion by means of applying intuition, dream, and hallucination. Thus the various the novelist
cracks As soon formed after their as Raskolnikov suffering committed from his a fatal crime, attack he was are shown greatly clearly. confused

"At the sight of the expression in his eyes, I come to know, and mentally: so do all of them! How Iwish I could run downstairs it right now! What
would be if there's someone there, or, a policeman standing in guard!

What's this? Could it be tea? The beer hasn't yet been drunk; there's still half a bottle left. How cold it is!"11This abrupt transition of conscious ness seems almost to be incoherent, but, in the reality of life, it is true to the of those remarkably illogical reflection of the consciousness who are in a psychologically state of mind; confused there is simply no difference! While this character, Dostoevsky had repeatedly portraying
used such words and phrases as "unconsciously," "intuitionally," "unwittingly," "illusion," "unexpectedly," "unintentionally," "the most pain

ful thing is that it is not so much perception as consciousness or sense," and so forth. All of these descriptions his of greatly deepen exploration
the characters' hearts, and moreover, his descriptions are always soul

stirring. Nevertheless,

it is by no means

"polyphonic"

description.

As

786
for the secondary characters, the novelist didn't

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LITERARY

HISTORY

forget

to discover

"man"

in them, yet, obviously, instead of resorting to applying "polyphony," he to depict the truth of human nature. For instance, being ill tried merely used to insult behaved, "cruel," and "crazy," the landlord Svidrigailov same was on at at others will and, the also hard himself. While time, he this scoundrel put failing to obtain the love he was feverishly pursuing, an end to his life unexpectedly and secretly. In addition, Rabaigev in The to Idiot always did his best flatter and speak glibly in the presence of
moneybags, but, when it came to making an argument, his speech

or full of generalities, to be no longer superficial turned though, was it unavoidably, tinged from time to time with a sad flavor. Of course, a wily bird at the low strata of the this was mainly because Rabaigev, official world, had seen and heard a good many things there. out Dostoevsky
speare, Cervantes,

greatly

admired

the psychological
and Goncharov, and

descriptions
seemingly

of Shake
he himself

Turgenev,

that it was only his psychological that could description a man's the of soul. While about Victor penetrate depth talking Hugo's La Dernier Jour d'un Condamn in "author's words" at the very beginning of this work of his novel A Gentle Creature, Dostoevsky highly praised Hugo's was accomplished in which the psychological description through how a dead prisoner related in a dozen illusion.12 The story highlights didn't conclude in the activities occurring paper scraps his multifarious psychological not is it of before his execution. But, way similarly, by applying day the innermost mentality of its hero. "polyphony" that this novel depicted if we compare Dostoevsky with Tolstoy, we must acknowledge Besides,
that, cal in order to description own had their explore was as "man" excellent strong in human as the beings, former's, They were the and latter's that equally psychologi both of them matched.

respective

points.

Tolstoy compared Dostoevsky,

presented the with allows

argument, namely, "fluidity," which when advanced of transformed" by being "possibility in for the possibility of equal skill though different

a famous

is shown defi the fluidity said, "In literary works, Tolstoy expression. remains himself He the and forever, yet is, character) (that clearly. nitely
he behaves like a scoundrel or as an angel; or like a clever man or an

idiot; or like a man of unusual strength a literary work were good it would be if
matter of fact, the same idea was expressed

or a good-for-nothing. How in this way!"13 As a narrated

in his novel Resurrection.

to all, and many of his passages Tolstoy's are and have won of his heroes excellent the depicting psychology "man" from human universal praise. In short, in the field of discovering had attained the "realism in the beings, both Tolstoy and Dostoevsky means it of following but the former sense," by accomplished highest the latter dialectic of human soul?while the principle of "fluidity"?the artistic world is known

PROBLEMS

OF BAKHTIN'S

THEORY

787
"transformation" into practice, same goal by the reached they
such a conclusion, we do not

achieved ruthlessly
different

his theory of it by putting man's dissecting psychology;

routes. Though having drawn

mean

to play down
can yet

the significance
be regarded as

of "polyphony." Without
Dostoevsky's main artistic

a doubt,
method.

"polyphony"

Finally, the problem we're going to discuss below is: in the relation the author and his hero, what degree of independence ship between out that the hero's argument should the hero have? Bakhtin pointed "it ought to be situated in the should have "particular independence": in a particular with his and it should be combined author, equal position the author's argument and other heroes' voices which have value of completeness" (PD 29-30). Lunacharsky highly was finishing his this idea, saying, "Either when Dostoevsky approved or to out at the and he its started work when novel, very beginning plot to unfold it might have been like this: He [it] gradually, proceeded
doesn't have a definite and clear plan in advance; most probably, we've

form with the same

really come into contact with a sort of 'polyphonic' phenomenon connected and woven free individuality."14 together with absolutely to the second in 1929.) In the footnotes (This was his comment written this edition of Bakhtin's Problems ofDostoevsky's Poetics,15 Bakhtin quoted no to raised the passage, but objection wording "absolutely free indi and in the second of this book, he even put viduality," chapter now of whether "the heroes and their voice, with the the problem of polyphony, have a relative freedom and independence" composition to judge from both the beginning and end of the (PZ>82). Nevertheless, remark did not change Bakhtin's fundamental view book, Lunacharsky's of the particular feature of "polyphony." forward
Generally statement speaking, about the there independence is a certain of the rational heroes' nature ideological in Bakhtin's conscious

ness and the relationship with their author. If a hero fails to possess such relative independence, fails to possess objective reality, it is difficult for him to exist independently. to Similarly, if an author pays no attention all of these details, tries to force his own thought on his characters, or makes up a story without any understanding of the characters, he would
surely meet with their resistance, namely, the resistance of artistic logic.

heroes were all able to express their own multifarious ideas Dostoevsky's more freely and thoroughly than the characters in ordinary novels. But were they really "free men" created our by a Prometheus? Seemingly, on this question. we should not views are divergent In my opinion, to such a degree the heroes' that they could exaggerate independence
confront are as their follows: author and refuse to accept his restrictions. The reasons

First,

no matter

what

the extent

of

the

ideological

freedom

and

788
of these independence author's intervention. Crime and Punishment. heroes, For His it was instance, revolting impossible consider consciousness

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HISTORY

for

them

to escape the changed hero

the of

Raskolnikov, was

inces

the crime: he felt that justice was on his santly soon after he committed himself from the people; side, then he realized that he had alienated arguing repeatedly with both himself and others and finally under the of Sonya's faith, he arrived at the belief that for the sake of influence
love one should not hesitate to endure any suffering and atone for one's

crime. Of course, it was the natural result of the logical development of the hero's character, yet how can you say it is not the embodiment of the author's original intent? To be sure, it was precisely with this point of
view that Dostoevsky expected social renewal.

if the heroes could be independent of their author by having Second, a their own objectivity consciousness their (namely, subjective possessed of then into what such value would relatively large objectivity), position an independence put the subjective activity of the author? In such a
case, would not that make the author's function become a rigid mirror?

To
said but

this argument
what the something needed,

Dostoevsky
creation wider, there larger, but

himself
needed and are

would
"is not

absolutely

never

agree. He

literary

naturally

deeper. too few

. . . accuracy photographic are and truthfulness Accuracy that have them alone."16 Besides,

he would
heroes. at any

not

agree
the

that writers
once same stated, status

were

reduced
artists of the

to the level of ordinary

should not be lowered they to have characters

Dostoevsky rate to

"genuine as that

portrayed.
complacency

...
and

If the author
naivety, then

could
it would

give

a bit of

irony

to his hero's
the readers"

be more

intimate

(149).
contrary

It is thus clear that to overemphasize

to the writer's original intention.

the heroes'
In my opinion,

independence
the hero could

is

only be regarded as nothing but the mixture jointly created by Zeus and But at that is, he has a value of his own, he is independent. Prometheus;
the same time, he is the result of the writer's artistic cognition, and

therefore,
hero's

he and

is subject
and action,

to restrictions
the writer

of his author.
is none other

In handling
than the one

the
who

behavior

can While

know

do

everything
take a

in an
skeptical

all-around
attitude

way,
toward

though
this

some

contemporary

writers

argument.

on Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky wrote in his note working and will not blame book: the writer was "the one who knows everything It is thus obvious that Dostoevsky himself had a others wrongly."17 In of above-mentioned the and clear definite phenomena. conception in Aesthetic and His Hero "Notes on the Author his early artistic "The author does not only see Activity," Bakhtin once wrote definitively, seen the and know everything, by each and every one of namely, things
his characters, but also can perceive much more than this. Meanwhile,

PROBLEMS

OF BAKHTIN'S

THEORY

789

as well for the the things most difficult he has seen and known to understand" characters (AV 14). As a matter of fact, only when he the particular nature of "polyphony" did Bakhtin later overemphasized one to to attend proceed thing and lose sight of others.
By Moreover, then there opinions were were many always our explanations varied. for Among Dostoevsky's them, the creation. method by

which
works

Bakhtin made
is, of course,

a theoretical
worth

contribution
He

in analyzing
said that his

Dostoevsky's
starting point

attention.

emphasized
Dostoevsky's

investigating
literary works.

"the particular
He pointed

nature
out that

of the artistic
the general

form"

in

researchers

took no notice nature merely

of this point, but often tried to seek after this particular in the works' themes, or a single image taken from the in terms of its implication for life. In this way, since novel and evaluated new the the most by Dos things discovered thing, namely, important content were make the it itself lose lustre. would lost, toevsky, inevitably

to the already found content, said, "Instead of giving expression to should first of all urge people the artistic form correctly understood none look for and discover the content" It that this is (PD 80). appears to my other His idea should become, than Bakhtin's methodology. of the of In the overall mind, component part study literary phenomena. Bakhtin
a certain the sense, there existing is no malpractice mistaking in our what approach his to argument literary aimed research. for. It was

Chinese

Academy

of

Social

Sciences

notes
1 M. M. Bakhtin, Problems of Dostoevsky's cited in text as PD. 1988); hereafter Poetics, tr. Bai Chunren and Gu Yaling (Beijing,

own of the title in his novel Notes from the 2 See Fyodor Dostoevsky's explanation tr. Yi Xin in World Literature, no. 4, ch. 1. 1982), Underground, (Beijing, 3 About in Dostoevsky's the characters' that it fell works, Tolstoy language spoke bluntly short of characteristics. Heroes "all speak with the author's both unnatural and language, and what's more whatever but the author's See affected, they utter is nothing thinking." Leo Tolstoy, On Art and Literature, ed. Kanstantin Lomunov (Moscow, 1958), 2:105. 4 M. M. Bakhtin, The Aesthetics of Verbal Creation (Moscow, cited in 1979), p. 318; hereafter text as AV. 5 Mikhail in Leonid A Great Artist," Glinka, Grossman, quoted "Dostoevsky: Creation, ed. Nikloa (Moscow, 1959), p. 342. Stepanov in Grossman, "Dostoevsky: A Great Artist," p. 342. Leonid Grossman in his On also once

Dostoevsky's 6 Quoted studied 7 8

this issue.

On Dostoevsky's Realism (Moscow, 1964), p. 169. George Fredrinjel, See Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Legacy of Literature (Moscow, 1971), 83:422, cited in text as LL. 10 The Diary of Dostoevsky's Creation (Moscow, Lija Rozinblum, in Grossman, On Dostoevsky's Creation, p. 50. Quoted 1981), p. 311.

417; hereafter

790

NEW

LITERARY

HISTORY

tr. Yu Ling Crime and Punishment, 1979), p. 144. Dostoevsky, (Shanghai, A Gentle Creature, tr. Cheng Shi, in Collection ofNovels byDostoevsky, Fyodor Dostoevsky, ed. Nikola 1982), 2:598. Stipanov (Beijing, 13 (Moscow, 1955), p. 486. Tolstoy on Literature, ed. B. Ivanova and L. Opulskaja 14 See Collection of Essays by Lunacharsky, 1:159. ed. Ivan Anisimov (Moscow, 1955), 11 Fyodor 12 15 When 16 cited 17 Russian in 1929, itwas entitled Problems ofDostoevsky's Creation. this book was first printed Writers on Literary Creation, ed. Boris Meilach 1955), 3:136; hereafter (Moscow, in text. in Fredrinjel, On Dostoevsky's Realism, p. 170.

Quoted