Shklovsky, one of the founders of the Formalist study group, believes the nature of literature is their form, which comprises all literary devices and techniques, artistic materials and defamilization of forms are the essential characteristics of literature. Influenced by new opinions of Ferdinand de Saussure on linguistics, Shklovsky analysed this technique from the linguistic viewpoint.

To introduce and spread the concept of defamilization, which turns something that has become over-familiar into something reactivated, Shklovsky gave several examples to illustrate perception has become unconsciously automatic, he took it as a retreat of our habits. And he thought over-automatization of an object, the greatest economy of perceptive effect could impede our entire comprehension of objects.

In this essay, I noticed a sentence “…if the whole complex lives of many people go on unconsciously, then such lives are as if they had never been.” I once saw a similar sentence “It never happens when something real had been forgotten”, people try hard to recollect scenes of the past when they look back, they are apt to forget routine matters which happen around them every day because of unconsciousness. To reverse this trend of modern living, Shklovsky proposed a technique of art which makes objects “unfamiliar”. Art is extracted from life, but superior to life in many respects. Art, as an essential method of writing, makes real objects look different through images and modes of expressions, then unexpected results are fed back to readers.

Shklovsky cited several Tolstoy’s passages to explain his theory. The first method is using different words to replace familiar names. Author has to use more words to explain an act or a phenomenon, this seems a little bit tedious and complicated, readers will notice other parts then the greatest possible effect will be produced. Such like that harsh example of flogging, it’s a typical Tolstoy’s way of pricking the curiosity and conscience of readers.

Personally, I prefer the second method of estrangement, authors make a story from different point of view. First of all, a story made from special angle of view intrigues people into reading it. Secondly, it’s easier for us to accept a totally different opinion. Specifically, people won’t have an attitude of exclusion towards “different arguments” of a horse, but they tend to refute the same argument from a person. This horse thought it was incorrect that people think animals should be naturally possessed by human being. People are guided by words, not by deeds in life, their instinct is narrow. I totally agree to what this horse has said, correct ideas are not innate in the mind, people seldom dare to face squarely their problems and they are unwilling to acknowledge their shortcomings and responsibilities.

Shklovsky cited Tolstoy’s other passages to show how common the method of narrative is used, seeing things out of their normal context makes writings more impressive. Many people considered it blasphemy to present as monstrous what they accepted as sacred, in my opinion, they merely declined to approve those habitual things in an unfamiliar way.

The third method used mainly in poetic speech is using artistic trademark as a way of lingering to impede perception; making the language appear strange, intricate and roughened. Sometimes, foreign languages, archaism and popular language, even dialects are new devices to create a properly poetic language. Speaking of the rhythm of poetry, which is totally different from the rhythm of prose— an essential automatizing element, the adjustment of poetry rhythm orders are necessary as well, even if it would not have too much effect for the roughening of language, the unpredictable disordering of rhythm should become a convention, anyway.

In brief, Shklovsky developed the critical theories and techniques of Russian Formalism. The concept of “defamilization” creates a special perception of objects, it’s an innovative writing technique which produces a great influence on theories of literature and the study of modern Russian poetic language.

Ces derniers jours, j’ai lu Toine, un conte de Guy de MAUPASSANT, c’ est une histoire intéressante. Maupassant choisit généralement les menus événements de la vie quotidienne comme le sujet de ses œuvres, on s’informe et synthétise les vérités vivantes de la vie par les exemples typiques.

D’abord, je me suis familiarisée avec le style de vie des hameaux paysans de la France au dix-neuvième siècle. Les Toines sont une famille typique aux champs à Normandie.

Maupassant est un romancier qui a bien dépeint ses personnages, surtout leur caractère. Le père Toine, le cabaretier de Tournevent, est un homme gros et optimiste, qui se livrait au vin et se plaisait à rester oisif tout le temps. Au contraire, sa femme, qui se querellait avec lui tous les jours, on la connaît par beaucoup d’intrigues dans ce conte, elle était dure, elle était toujours préoccupée, elle avait la culte de l’argent, elle était mécontente de tout, toute la rancœur qu’elle avait amassée contre son mari et leur vie éclataient chaque jour.

Quant au sujet de ce conte, « faire son mari paralysé ouver des œufs» est une idée ridicule, très drôle, certainement, ce n’est pas une idée sérieuse, à mon avis, c’est assez plaisant! Je crois que Maupassant exagéra un peu sur cette affaire, avec un regard acéré, il ironisa les paysans cupides, ils étaient avide de profit maximum, ils profitaient de toutes les occasions pour commettre des méfaits, en d’autres termes, ils étaient habiles et diligents, bien qu’au commencement on croyait «couver des œufs» est une plaisanterie laborieuse, après le père Toine a réussi à éclore des œufs, comme une mère enceinte suant d’angoisse et d’inquiétude, ce travail a devenu glorieux, même sacré! J’ai vu ce film Toine, adapté du conte Toine et realisé par Jacques Santamaria en 2007, Il y a beaucoup d’assistants curieux à la chambre à ce jour-là, mais y compris un rôle ajouté, le docteur qui soignait Toine, quand le mère Toine l’invita à s’asseoir, il dit : « On se sent si petit devant le mistère de la vie. En attendant une naissance, la science se doit rester debout». Il est à noter que malgré l’esprit étroit des paysans, la société de la France et les sciences humaines en ce temps-là étaient influencés par le développement de l’industrialisation et les pensées de la révolution.

Bref, Toine est un conte satirique, il me rappelle Le Père Goriot et Eugénie Grandet, les héros courent après l’argent, ils sont capables de tout pour gagner ou épargner plus d’or, toutefois, la différence la plus grande entre ces œuvres est leur fin, Toine est une comédie humaine, le père Toine et sa femme ont finalement obtenu un succès fou, de plus, ils continueraient à faire ça, leur vie aurait connu une certaine amélioration. En tout cas, c’est une histoire avec espoir. Le projet absurde sera réalisé si l’on le prend comme une chose sérieuse et y accorde de l’importance. A cet époque, je suis sûre qu’on ne le fait plus, évidemment. J’apprécie quand même le style précis de Maupassant, la créativité littéraire est de grande portée pour un écrivain, la source littéraire de Maupassant est réelle, en outre, il avait des vues pénétrants, ainsi, Toine est une de ses œuvres les plus célèbres et ce conte est connu parfaitement par le public.

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These days, I read Toine, a story by Guy de Maupassant, it is an interesting story. Maupassant usually selects the menu events of daily life as the subject of his works, so we can synthesize the truths of living life by those typical examples.

First of all, I am familiar with the lifestyle of agricultural settlements of France in the nineteenth century. The Toines were a typical peasant family in Normandy.

Maupassant is a novelist who has portrayed his characters meticulously, especially their personalities. Father Toine, the innkeeper in Tournevent, is a huge and optimistic man, who was engaged in the wine and loved to be idle all the time. Instead, his wife, who quarreled with him every day, which could be known by a lot of details in this tale, she was stern and always anxious, she had the cult of money, she was dissatisfied with everything, the resentment she had raised against her husband broke every day.

As for the subject of this story, “let her husband hatch eggs” is a ridiculous idea, very hilarious, indeed, this is not a serious idea, in my opinion, it’s pretty funny! I think Maupassant exaggerated a little on this matter, in an incisive style, he quipped greed of peasants, they were eager to maximize profit, they took advantage of every opportunity to make money, in other words, they were skilled and diligent, although initially we thought “hatching eggs” is impossible, after the father Toine was able to hatch eggs as a pregnant mother sweating with anxiety and worries, this work has become glorious, even sacred! I saw the movie Toine, which is adapted and directed by Jacques Santamaria in 2007, There were many curious villagers in the room that day, including a new role– the doctor who treated Toine, when mother Toine invited him to sit down, he said: “You feel so small before the mystery of life. Science must stand when the new life is coming. ” It should be noted that despite these peasants were narrow-minded, the society of France and the humanities at that time were influenced by the development of industrialization and the thoughts of revolution.

In short, Toine is a satirical story, it reminds me of Father Goriot and Eugenie Grandet, the heroes all run after money, they would like to earn or save more gold by doing everthing, however, the greatest difference between these works is their end, Toine is a comedy, the father Toine and his wife finally got a hit, in addition, they would continue to do that, their lives might have more improvements. We could say this is a story with hope. Even an absurd project could be carried out if we take it as a serious matter and attach importance to it. I’m sure that, nowadays, nobody would do that anymore. I still appreciate the particular style of Maupassant, literary creativity is of importance for an author, the literary source of Maupassant is actual, moreover, he had a penetrating mind, that’s why Toine is one of his most famous works and this story is perfectly known by the public.