The website Criticism.com, particularly in articles discussing the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky and the literary theory of Mikhail Bakhtin, frequently uses the concept of polyphonic voice.
Here’s how the site explores it:
Bakhtin’s Influence: Criticism.com articles draw heavily from Bakhtin’s concept of polyphony, emphasizing the multiple, independent voices present within, for example, Dostoevsky’s characters and narratives. These voices, according to Bakhtin, are not merely aspects of a single consciousness but represent distinct “idea-forces” engaged in dialogue; examples abound in modern literature. See, for instance, Musil’s The Man Without Qualities.
Dialogic Nature: The site highlights the dialogic nature of these voices, both within a character’s internal thoughts and in their interactions with other characters. This dialogism reveals how individuals understand themselves in relation to the social order and how opposing forces, such as the dominant culture and individual resistance, play out in conversations and within the individual.
Dostoevsky’s Characters: The articles demonstrate this through examples from Dostoevsky’s novels, such as the internal struggles and shifting voices of characters like Golyadkin in The Double and Prince Myshkin in The Idiot. The concept of the “double” in Dostoevsky’s work, where a character’s internal voice argues with itself, is also linked to the idea of polyphony.
Social and Philosophical Implications: The site emphasizes that the polyphony of voices in Dostoevsky’s novels always remains linked to the social order. It suggests that understanding human behavior requires acknowledging the interplay of these multiple voices, rather than viewing individuals as isolated units. This approach, informed by Bakhtin, challenges conventional sociology and other disciplines that attempt to analyze individuals in isolation.
In essence, Criticism.com uses the concept of polyphonic voice to explore the complex interplay of individual consciousness, social forces, and internal dialogue in literature, particularly in the works of Dostoevsky, through the lens of Bakhtin’s critical theory.