Whether it's the books of Nikolai Nikolaevich or the personal poetry of Yuri Zhivago, literature stands out as one of the great expressions of individual freedom in this book. In fact, writing poetry is one of the things that gets Zhivago into such deep trouble to begin with. His superiors just want him to work at hospitals and to spew Communist propaganda all day. But all Yuri wants to do is write poetry about nature without worrying too much about mucky political issues. That'll be hard to do in Russia, of course, and not just because of the Soviets. For centuries, Russians have viewed literature as something inherently powerful—and, yes, inherently political. Even poetry.
Questions About Literature and Writing
- Why do you think Pasternak chooses to end Doctor Zhivago by showing us the poems that Yuri Zhivago has written throughout his life?
- What do you make of the fact that Zhivago's poetry contains very few references to the Russian Revolution and all the historical stuff that's happened in his lifetime? What might that mean?
- Where does Yuri Zhivago's impulse to write come from? What happens to him when he isn't able to write? How much is he willing to sacrifice for his poetry?
Chew on This
In Doctor Zhivago, we learn that literature has nothing to do with politics.
In Doctor Zhivago, we learn that it is impossible to separate literature from politics.