From the Paper
"This study will examine Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, focusing on the spiritual aspects of the novel and particularly of the character of Yuri Zhivago. The study will consider the theme of death and resurrection as it reflects upon the symbolic nature of the novel and the spiritual philosophy of Yuri as an artist and as a man. The thesis of the study will be that Zhivago's entire novel is a spiritual universe unto itself, with the author's having depicted characters who, whatever their individual flaws, together form a symbolic unity of life and spirit.

This thesis is supported by the argument of Angela Livingstone in Pasternak: Doctor Zhivago. Of the main characters, Livingstone writes that " . . . Yuri, Lara and (through his influence) Vedenyapin [Uncle Nikolai] constitute at ..."

From the Paper
"Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago challenged a number of socialist tenets in political, social, and literary terms, and it was banned in the Soviet Union as a consequence for 30 years. Politically, the novel questions the reality of the Soviet system as it developed, finding that the promise of the Bolsheviks was dissipated in the early years as changes were made in the social and political beliefs they had offered. In literary terms, the novel breaks away from the prevailing school of social realism, which in itself had been turned into a deliberate political statement and almost a political requirement for socialist-accepted writing. The novel intentionally deals with the early years of the Soviet system rather than with the Stalinist years. Pasternak had lived through both eras, but in this novel he was only challenging the way the Bolsheviks had abandoned their..."

Abstract
The writer of this paper explores the character of Larissa Fyodorovna Guishar in Boris Pasternak's Russian novel "Dr. Zhivago." This paper considers Larissa's background, lifestyle and relationships while emphasizing the turmoil during the Russian revolution. Throughout the novel Larissa is portrayed as extremely irrational and potentially dangerous while at the same time reasonable and affectionate. Her role in the novel is to assist in developing the theme of the love between a man and a woman. This paper describes the plot of the novel while detailing the growing bond between Larissa and Dr. Yuri Zhivago.

From the Paper
"Larrisa, or Lara as she is usually called, is a graceful, intelligent, and beautiful woman. She was motivated to make the best marks at school in order to pay reduced fees, and had a fully formed figure at the age of 16. As a young girl she attracted the attention of her mother's friend Komarovsky, which lead to a strange relationship between the two. She seems like a victim to the rich, older Komarovsky but she does not resist his advances. The relationship they have is a secret and if Lara is uncomfortable with the situation, she certainly is not uncomfortable with the money and attention she receives. After finally breaking away from him, she plans to marry Pasha Antipov but finds herself tied up with Komarovsky again. When preparing to ask Komoravsky for money, she brings a loaded revolver planning to shoot him if he refuses but shoots another man instead."

Tags:literature, russian, analysis, character, review, novel

Abstract
This paper examines how two particularly influential writers from 20th century Soviet Russia are Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Boris Pasternak. It looks at how each of these authors contributed both to literary movements of their time and to political disputes and policies. It explores how, although both men's works of literature were officially banned by the state at some point, the notions published within eventually influenced the political minds and philosophies that came to dominate Russia.

From the Paper
"Boris Pasternak took a unique view of literature by comparison to his predecessors in that he refused to overtly endorse or condemn the events of history-most significantly, the Bolshevik revolution. On one level, this made his writing non-threatening to the communist party, but on another, it made is omissions of undeniable patriotism highly questionable in the views of party authorities. "While opportunists celebrated five-year plans, Stalin's wisdom, and official enlightenment, Pasternak refused to see literature as a means of mass communications and to compose topical and functional verse." (Slonim, 218). This perspective parallels that of his central character in his most famous work, Dr. Zhivago."

Tags:doctor, zhivago, bolshevik, revolution, communist

Abstract
The paper discusses how "Bread and Wine" and "Dr. Zhivago" are novels that contain strong motifs of idealism and passion, against a backdrop of war and personal confusion for their protagonists. The paper examines how both books feature protagonists who are deeply morally conflicted, due both to physical hardship and to enormous moral confusion. The paper analyzes the books' two main characters, Pietro Spina and Yury Zhivago, in terms of how both of their lives fundamentally change.

From the Paper
"As the book opens Spina has returned home to Italy, after a long period of exile abroad. He seeks refuge now among peasants of the Abruzzi; pretending among them to be Spada.
A key theme of Silone's Bread and wine is Pietro Spina's personal struggle against evil that he observes all around him in the world, especially among the fascists, although Communism itself, Russian style, has also come lately to disillusion him."

Tags:competing, philosophy, literature, medicine, Russia, Catholic, Church

Abstract
This paper examines how the life and literary work of Russian emigres draws upon a very distinct Russian tradition of intellectuals in exile and how both the Russian Empire and Soviet Union had many exiles, both inside the empire and outside it. It looks at how many of those that left voluntarily early in their lives such as Vladimir Nabokov, Boris Pasternak, and Ayn Rand, reflected the sentiments of those that were later forced into political exile, which include Brodsky, Solzhenitsyn and Sakhalov. In particular, it focuses on Nabokov's cohort of Russian emigres to Europe and America.

From the Paper
"Nabokov was a native of Saint Petersburg, which at the time of his childhood dominated Russian culture as it had been the home of the Czar and represented not only the seat of the Russian government but also its connection to the commerce of the west. Nabokov, like Rand and other emigres who grew up in Piter during the aughts and teens, was a child of privilege who vacationed in the Crimea and in continental Europe; in many respects he was similar to the upper middle class that one finds today in Moscow. Nabokov grew up in a wealthy suburb of St. Petersburg; at that time, small villages like Vyra and Tsarsky Celo had regular rail service to the center of town. He was taught by private tutors and spoke several languages from a very early age."

Tags:vladimir, nabokov, boris, pasternak, ayn, rand

Abstract
The paper provides a synopsis of Alexandr Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman", the drama "Boris Godunov" and the tale of "Boris and Gleb". The paper describes the profoundly Christian morals of "Boris and Gleb" which defined early middle ages Russia, the political tribulations behind the accession to the throne in imperialistic Russia of the 17th century depicted in "Boris Godunov" and the social consequences of Russian expansionism as suggested through metaphors in "The Bronze Horseman". The paper also shows how each of these three literary works are valuable pieces of literature as well as testimonials of their eras.

From the Paper
"Before writing plays, Pushkin was an accomplished poet. But then he discovered Shakespeare and his manner of writing changed forever. Although his plays were revolutionary, the state of the theater during Pushkin's time was not favorable to his writings mainly because people went to the theater to see old-fashioned historical tragedies and the French vaudeville that was penetrating the Russian theater scene. Moreover, the theater lacked good Russian plays on Russian themes despite the fact that the Russian theater was never short of good playwrights. "

Tags:tradition, religion, Christianity, history, Tsar, throne

Abstract
The end of the Cold War found Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin seeking solutions for problems that needed to be solved. Their attempts to reform the socialist state are reviewed in this paper, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
Outline
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Gorbachev's Glasnost
Yeltsin and Democratization
Analysis
Conclusion

From the Paper
"In many ways, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power during a period in Soviet history where things had been going downhill for some time, and the Old Guard was dying off; however, the primary catalyst for reform during Gorbachev period of glasnost, or "openness," was one of economics. For example, in their book, Glasnost, Perestroika and the Socialist Community, Bukowski and Walsh (1990) report that, "The impetus for reform in the Soviet Union came from a number of directions, but the factor of fundamental importance was the economic one. Gorbachev's economic reforms are meant to revitalize a stagnant Soviet economy that has been growing at only about 2 percent annually for a decade. The reasons for the slowdown are partly internal and structural, and partly external." "

Tags:socialism, soviet, union, perestroika

Abstract
This paper suggests that because of the creation of certain institutions of government, Russia is institutionally closer to democracy than it was ten years ago. Its newly structured (some would say deconstructed) economy has generated enough new wealth that its populace will not accept a return to a command economy. But its ability to create a functional democracy that will honor a people's social and civil rights is just as tenuous as it was in 1991 when Boris Yeltsin came to power.

From the Paper
"According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition, a democracy is a a philosophy that insists on the right and the capacity of a people, acting either directly or through representatives, to control their institutions for their own purposes. Such a philosophy places a high value on the equality of individuals and would free people as far as possible from restraints not self-imposed. It insists that necessary restraints be imposed only by the consent of the majority and that they conform to the principle of equality. Given this definition of democracy, is Russia any closer to a fully functioning, democratic system of government than it was ten years ago when Boris Yeltsin assumed the presidency?"

Tags:Soviet, Communism, COmmunist, election, reform, democratic

Abstract
The paper examines whether Russia, which had made significant progress towards democracy under Gorbachev, is slowly being led back to an authoritarian-like rule by Putin or whether Putin is hamstrung by his predecessor, Yeltsin. The author believes that Gorbachev made exemplary strides in taking Russia on the path of democracy. His successors' policies, however, caused Russia to take serious steps backwards in this process. The paper is especially critical of Yeltsin and Putin, citing their backgrounds and personalities as leading to the current backward trends in Russian attempts at democracy.

From the Paper
"Over the past century, the Russian Federation has undergone numerous changes in government. From a Tsarist regime in the early 1900s to a totalitarian state under brutal dictator Joseph Stalin, to its present, semi-democracy under ex-KGB leader Vladimir Putin, it's a wonder that Russia has been able to sustain its position as a world power for all these years. In the past decade, Russia had been making an effort to rid themselves of their totalitarian (and communist) past, by moving the government towards democracy, thanks to progressive leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. However, in recent years, Putin has strayed from the democratic path. By taking such measures as jailing his main Presidential opposition, and with the Duma, Russia's parliament, practically controlled by his party, Putin has given himself more power than his predecessors ever had. This, combined with what many call an "anti-democratic culture", has outsiders questioning whether Russia is again veering off course. The main question is whether it's solely Putin's fault for the present state of the Russian government, or if his predecessors left him with little room to maneuver."

Tags:boris, gorbachev, mikhail, putin, russia, soviet, union, vladimir, yeltsin