A. O. Hume's artistic journalism as an intertext (on the example of pamphlets of 1886-1887)

Volkova Anna Andreevna Librarian; Scientific Library of TSU 34a Lenin Ave., Tomsk, Tomsk region, 634050, Russia ann@myttk.ru Other publications by this author

Currently, in the research of artistic journalism, much attention is paid to the problem of intertextuality. A wide field for the study of intertext and its impact on the reader is represented by English journalism of the Victorian era, which is characterized by the constant struggle of representatives of various artistic, political and, more broadly, ideological trends. Remarkable examples of journalism were created by outstanding English writers (for example, Charles Dickens) and prominent political figures. At the same time, the literature of Victorian Britain was not limited only to English writers – in the XIX century. The British Empire is becoming a powerful empire, whose power extends to many regions of Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Colonial rule also contributes to the emergence of new topics and new names in journalism, which, while preserving their British identity, focus on issues of life in the colonies. One of the consequences of this is the emergence of Anglo-Indian literature, which was created by Englishmen who were born or served in India. Following the artistic and polemical traditions of their distant homeland, they introduced new subjects and shades into British literature and journalism that still require detailed research. This article, therefore, is devoted to the study of intertextuality in Anglo-Indian literature of the XIX century. on the example of the polemical pamphlets of Allan Octavian Hume (1829-1912), whose work is a vivid example of how someone else's text is woven into a journalistic work, what functions it carries, and how it contributes to influencing readers' opinion and interest.

A. O. Hume is a colonial official in India, an activist and publicist who, after retirement, became an active figure in the nascent national movement in British India, the founder of the Indian National Congress and an exponent of the demands of the Indian intelligentsia in England ^{[1, 2]}. Although the political component of his activities is covered in detail in the scientific literature (one can cite as an example of work E. Moulton ^[3], D. S. Nikitin ^{[4, 5]}, S. R. Mehrotra ^[6]), his artistic and journalistic heritage, inextricably linked with the Indian people, social and political problems of the colony in the second half of the XIX century, remains much less studied.

Three pamphlets of the publicist, written by him in the period from 1886 to 1887, were used for the study: "The Hope of the Old Man", "The Tidal Wave, or the Progress of political activity in India", "A Star in the East, or the Bengali National League" ^[7]. The pamphlets were published in separate pamphlets, which, in addition to the articles themselves, also included documents and poems that complemented these articles and immersed the reader deeper into their problems. In semantic and compositional terms, they are one.

Journalism in India of this period, which was actively developing under the influence of the West, is mainly devoted to the ongoing disputes between supporters of the expansion of political rights of the population of British India and the authorities, liberals and conservatives. The controversy on the pages of newspapers and magazines was mostly conducted around the national issue. The patriotic sentiments of the society have acquired great importance here.

During this period, India was literally overwhelmed by a national movement led by liberal Indians and the British. In the struggle for the expansion of rights, political societies are being created, and widespread agitation is being carried out ^{[5, p. 14]}. Hume plays one of the leading roles here, thereby earning the love and trust of the local population and gaining enemies among the conservative-minded authorities ^{[5, pp. 14-15]}. In fact, Hume's activity as a publicist boils down, on the one hand, to criticism and disputes with the local aristocracy, on the other – to popularize the ideas of freedom and equality between Indians and British colonialists.

From this point of view, it is clear why such genres as parodies, pamphlets, feuilletons, and satirical notes are becoming popular in the press, designed to denounce, criticize, and laugh at opponents who, according to nationalists, infringe on the rights of the local population and deny the very possibility of social equality.

In this sense, Hume's artistic journalism, reflecting the era, is an example of Indian periodicals of the late 19th century, which also encourages its study. It has significance both from a historical point of view and from a literary point of view, thereby defining the main task of receptive aesthetics, for which the historical, social and cultural context is important ^{[8, p. 9]}. Indeed, as V. Yu. Kozhanova writes, "receptive aesthetics mainly relies on historical evidence, trying to discover the dominant attitudes in the minds of readers of the past" ^{[9, p. 101]}.

The receptive aspect, in turn, is of great importance in the study of a work as an intertext, since the latter is always aimed at the reader's perception and understanding of it. In the words of A.V. Zhdanova, "without the recipient's activity, the birth of an intertext may simply not happen, and this layer will remain unactivated by the potency of the work" ^{[10, p. 77]}. Identifying the sources and features of someone else's text in the text, it is impossible not to turn to their functions, which determine the specifics of the reader's reading. Moreover, Hume himself was reputed to be a very controversial figure in the eyes of his readers. On the one hand, he proved himself in the eyes of the people to be a fair and noble manager, "a popular and authoritative official in the district, and the good memory of him was preserved for many years" ^{[5, p. 46]}. On the other hand, his social and journalistic activities caused a flurry of criticism in aristocratic circles, and "Hume had to restrain attacks from the highest ranks of the colonial bureaucratic apparatus" ^{[5, p. 111]}.

Both the author and the reader are inscribed in the era, the text itself is its reflection, which has a greater effect on journalistic articles, often written for the malice of the day. There are other differences between artistic and journalistic texts. Most often, a publicist, using intertextual elements, gives them on his own behalf, unlike a writer who puts them into the mouths of his characters ^{[10, p. 77]}. In this case, the recipient's work with intertext, its identification and understanding becomes much easier, because in this case the author leads the reader, as if imposing his own picture of the world on him, while greatly narrowing the multiplicity of variations in reading the text.

In one of the works of the publicist, the genre closest to a work of fiction, "A conversation between Moulvi Faridaddin, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Law, vakil of the High Court, practicing in the District Court of Hakikatabad, and Rambaksh, one of the mukaddams of Kambakhtpur", the interlocutors exchange thoughts about the author's ideas about the need to introduce representative institutions in India ^{[4, p. 11]}, previously stated by Hume himself in letters and documents. In his pamphlets written a little earlier, the publicist, using elements of intertext, speaks on his own behalf. At the same time, he often immediately refers to sources. But here, too, Hume often uses self-citations and self-reflections.

Most often, quotations and reminiscences are used in pamphlets. They differ in their source, structure, place in the text, style and, consequently, in their functions.

Depending on the author's goals and objectives, the sources of someone else's text can be letters and articles by the author's opponents, official documents, texts of works of fiction and precedent texts. In the pamphlet "Tidal Wave", Hume cites excerpts from an article written a few days earlier in the Allahabad newspaper "Pionir", "which attacks the community of young reformers, grossly distorting their goals and modi operandi" ^{[7, p. 57]}, sometimes quite voluminous. The article sharply criticizes the activities of Hume and his associates. The pamphleteer, in turn, polemicizes with the author of the article, using the same techniques of irony and sarcasm, after each excerpt from it, thereby showing the absurdity of the attacks from the opponent. "It is in them that the government must seek the means to explain to the people the true meaning of the wild and fantastic schemes that are being hopelessly put forward now; their influence must serve against the agitators, otherwise India may suddenly find itself walking on the edge of the abyss, <..Is this what they want?" – Hume quotes the text of the article. And further comments on it: "We are a little tired of this writer, and the fact that poor readers will continue to get acquainted with our comments on his quirks is more than we can wish for. Let us try and put an end to this" ^{[7, pp. 75-76]}.

Hume deliberately does not address the author directly, his tone is deliberately dismissive – all this indicates his clearly negative attitude towards the Pionir journalist. At the same time, the pamphleteer conducts a dialogue using the pronoun "we", emphasizing that the ill-fated author of the article has to enter into a dispute with literally the entire people of India, on whose behalf he speaks. This technique not only gives confidence to the publicist in his rightness, but also is a way to control the desires of the reader, to whom Hume makes it clear that their opinions definitely coincide.

Often, quoting an article in which he himself is criticized, Hume changes its general meaning from his own point of view, thereby converting quotations into so-called "quasi-quotations" ^{[11, p. 79]}. It was not for nothing that the pamphlet aroused the indignation of the local elite, and the viceroy accused Hume of "doing everything possible to arouse the suspicion of the people of India of his policies and intentions" ^{[5, p. 102]}.

So, quotes from letters and journalistic articles perform the functions of refutation and convincing the recipient of their rightness, and also is a means of implicit manipulation of the reader, forming a reader's assessment. The choice of direct, voluminous quotations, whole passages from the text is dictated by the author's tasks of consistently refuting the words of the opponent, condemning and denouncing them in the eyes of the reader.

In his pamphlets, Hume quotes and also uses images from English fiction, the Bible and texts of ancient writers, actively uses proverbs and sayings, including in Latin.

It is significant that Hume's texts written about the Indian people involve mainly European literary heritage. At the same time, he himself knew the Indian epic very well. Despite the fact that the pamphleteer was an ardent liberal and advocated for the expansion of the rights of the people of India, he was still not against the British administration of the colony, which reflects his centric worldview, in which Hume sees imperial England as the center of the earth. "Hume, an unconditional patriot of the British Empire, believed that the metropolis should fulfill an educational, civilizing mission towards the inhabitants of India" ^{[5, p. 45]}, writes D.S. Nikitin.

In addition, this is due to the fact that the pamphlets were written by Hume mainly for the reader-an Englishman and an Indian who received a European education. His reader is already prepared to recognize someone else's text in articles. This is an understanding reader, otherwise the information that the intertext carries cannot be conveyed to him. In this case, there is a risk that the dialogue between the text and the recipient will not take place.

In addition, the sources of citation in Hume's articles for a publicist of the described time are a kind of standard, a precedent text, the most important feature of which is its recognition by native speakers. "He must," as E. O. Oparina writes, "actualize special concepts and meanings that are significant for them" ^{[12, p. 162]}. For Hume, this is a storehouse from which he constantly draws images and meanings.

Such quotations and reminiscences allow the author to achieve expressiveness, evoke certain emotions in the reader, and bring stylistic diversity to his articles. "Like the ancient Moses, we stand looking around the promised land, which will reward everyone tired of wandering in the desert of despotism – this land with rivers of milk and honey is not for us, this kind land where Indian children will rejoice and have fun <...>" ^{[7, p. 160]}, - Hume writes in "A Star in the East". Thus, comparing oneself and one's companions with an Old Testament character gives pathos and sublimity to his words. The author appears to the reader as a kind of messiah and savior, followed by a people who unconditionally trust him. On the other hand, the use of a biblical image makes the reader empathize with the author.

Often, intertextual elements are used by a pamphleteer to create irony or sarcasm, help him express his own opinion to his opponent or the situation raised in the article. In the already mentioned "Star in the East" there is a reference to L. Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland": "Let the Indian executive do something wrong or bad, let it respond non possumus to all the demands of justice and progress - this Council of ancient Anglo-Indians was ready to support it and "defend its power". But let her – in the intervals of lucidity–advocate any measures favorable to the national cause and interest, and this ogre among the Soviets immediately begins to suppress them, just like the jack of hearts guinea pigs at the famous trial. As a result, they put them in their chests and sit on top" ^{[7, pp. 97-98]}. This is how the author metaphorically makes it clear the absurdity and absurdity of the actions of the authorities. Such a comparison is intended to amuse the reader, to ironically look at a serious situation.

Hume often gives inaccurate quotations, transforming them to suit his needs, paraphrases well-known expressions that have become popular, which can also contribute to the elation of the narrative, sublimity, and helps to achieve a high reader's rating. "May the Lord preserve India and all who love it!" ^{[7, p. 43]} – this is the phrase the author ends with "The old man's Hope", which is a transformed, well-known expression such as "God save the King!" (the anthem of England), "God save England!" etc. With these words, he convinces the reader of his good intentions, love for India and its people, seeking the same from the reader.

To summarize, it can be noted that the author uses quotations, direct and indirect, explicit and implicit, reminiscences, referring to the European artistic heritage, the Bible and the works of ancient authors, that is, to the so-called precedent text. The reader of Hume is a trained, educated Englishman or Indian, without which their dialogue could not take place. Intertextual elements create an emotionally expressed, upbeat tone in pamphlets, become a means of irony and sarcasm, with which a publicist denounces his opponents, helps him increase reader appreciation, serves as a means of manipulating reader opinion, which was necessary not only to attract public attention to the problems raised, but also pursued specific political goals – the protection of the program and the demands of the Indian National Congress in the face of political opponents.