The humanistic ideal in the novels Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov and Walden by Henry Thoreau: Towards the problem of typological convergence

The article presents the issue of typological convergence between two seminal works of fiction: the Russian realist Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov's novel Oblomov (1859) and the American transcendentalist Henry David Tho-reau's novel Walden, or Life in the Woods (1854). The article reviews the problematic presence of Thoreau's figure and work in Russian literature, which is found to be primarily connected with the names of Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov. These authors provide examples of direct and explicit contact with the novel Walden. Goncharov's and Thoreau's novels are compared based on an examination of their moral and natural philosophical perspectives as they relate to the modern personality. The ideological and thematic proximity of the works is established by the commonality of the plan of depiction, which initially presents a man who tests his strength and capabilities, thereby experiencing the process of their awakening. Firstly, both authors comprehend the personality in interaction with the natural beginning, which is manifested on a large scale in the novels. Nature can be considered both a concrete pictorial "text", a landscape in its entirety, and a living element through which the value generalisation of human life occurs. In the case of Oblomov, nature plays a significant role in the protagonist's life, influencing the ethical and philosophical aspects of his existence across different stages of his life, from childhood, where he is still discovering the world around him, to adulthood, where he begins to engage with the world in a more active manner. In the case of Walden, nature plays a similarly pivotal role, serving as the organizing force behind the chronotope. In this context, the narrator seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the world and to establish his place within it, while also exploring the boundaries of his individual identity. Secondly, in Goncharov and Thoreau, the protagonist is observed in the context of the neighbourhood and in interaction with the lives of other characters. This can be seen as a "practical" model of the author's reflection on the social conditionality of the individual and the ways of creating an ideal common world order (e.g. the Canadian woodcutter and the poet in Walden). Conversely, the writer's engagement with social interactions is essential for the examination of the inherent contradictions of human nature and the pursuit of a reconciliation of opposing forces. This is exemplified by the explicit contrast between Oblomov and Stoltz, as well as the contrasting portrayals of Olga Ilyinskaya and Agafya Pshenitsyna in Oblomov. It can be concluded that both Russian and American writers sought to identify a humanistic ideal, which they viewed as the harmonious existence of the human being. This ideal is reflected in the fate of the protagonist in a multilevel projection. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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