Philosofical views of Nicos Kazantzakis in the novel «The Report in front of EL Greco»

Abstract. The article reveals the philosophical views of Nikos Kazantzakis on religion and freedom on the example of the novel "Αναφορά στον Ελ Γκρέκο" ("Report in front of El Greco"). The reasons for El Greco's choice as a spiritual father and the factors that had influence the formation of the writer's personality are presented.

Introduction. The novel "Αναφορά στον Ελ Γκρέκο" ("Report in front of El Greco") is the result of N. Kazantzakis's philosophical and religious researchers, a spiritual autobiography is written one year before his death. It is a narrative of aspirations, a spiritual quest, an inner struggle, torments, doubts, the search for God, the creative intentions of the writer during his life.

The main researcher of the literary heritage of N. Kazantzakis was Eleni Kazantzaki (Samiu), his wife. The writer's works were translated into different languages, including Japanese, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic, Finnish, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Italian, Arabic, Spanish. The novel under study was translated into Russian by a philologist, historian, poet and writer Oleg Tsybenko. In 1964, the novel "The Life and Adventures of Alexis Zorbas" was screened by Michalis Kakoyannis. The film was called "Greek Zorba". In 1988 Martin Scorsese screened the novel "The Last Temptation of Christ".

The relevance of the study is determined to the comparison of two outstanding personalities of the Greek origin; the writer Nikos Kazantzakis (18.02.1883 – 26.10.1957) and the artist El Greco (1541 – 07.04.1614). The purpose of this study is to identify the main philosophical postulates of N. Kazantzakis in his novel "The Report in front of El Greco". Objectives of the study are: 1) to identify the reasons for choosing El Greco as a spiritual father; 2) to identify the main themes and ideas of the novel "The Report to El Greco"; 3) to determine the factors which Kazantzakis considers influential in the formation of his personality.The study was carried out using hermeneutic and typological approaches and a biographical method. The material of the study is the novel by N. Kazantzakis "The Report in front of El Greco".

The results of the research. "The Report to El Greco" (translated into Russian by O. Tsybenko in 1961) is a kind of Kazantzakis’ confession to the great artist of the Greek origin (Crete) El Greco. In the prologue of the novel Kazantzakis calls El Greco a commander and gives him a report about everything he had done during his life. The intention to write the book, was mentioned by Kazandzakis to Borye Knossos in the letter dated in July 10, 1955: ". I'm thinking about starting a new job, "Letters to El Greco". It is something like an autobiography, where I confess my grandfather, El Greco." [ 2, с. 623 ]

The real name of El Greco is Domenikos Theotokopoulos. Living in Spain, he began to call himself Domenico Greco, or simply El Greco (Greek), but the artist always signed his paintings using his real name and Greek letters, sometimes adding proud "Kge" »(Cretan) to the signature. In the image of El Greco Kazantzakis finds the soul as many times as wounded and unyielding inscription, like his soul, and confesses it (soul). For the writer El Greco becomes a guide and a mentor. According to N. Kazantzakis, it was El Greco who was the raft who could help to reach the land, the person whom he could confess all his sins during the life and even after death: El Greco was the Cretan who understood him and would not condemn and would give the "order": " Φτάσε όπου δεν μπορείς »! ("Reach there where you cannot!").

Since the father of Nikos Kazantzakis didn’t like the people of art, honoring only soldiers, the people of action, the image of the son ( Kazantzakis himself) and his choice of the path of the creative professional person is closer and closer to the image of El Greco, whose pictures he admired and whom he considered his spiritual father. In the novel Kazantzakis asks for El Greco’s blessing and awaits his order. Both Kazantzakis and El Greco have a common goal: the desire to resist the established foundations, push the narrow framework of the canons and make their "critical view" of the state of things. The themes of the struggle between the light and the darkness, the connection of the heaven with a sinful earth, the spiritual elevation of a man, unite the two great sons of Crete.

The images of Odysseus, Zorbas and Jesus Christ became the personification of the main ideals of Kazantzakis. Odysseus, whom the writer calls his "great companion", personifies the mystery of man's wanderings through life. This mythological hero who overcame a lot of temptations and dangers, not once, fought to death, gained the respect of Kazantzakis: "…ένας αθλητής που σέβεται το θάνατο και παλεύει μαζί του με προσοχή κι επιτηδειότητα, χωρίς φωνές, χωρίς βρισιές, κοιτάζοντάς τον κατάματα…" [3, p. 467] ("…an athlete who respects death and fights with caution and skill, noiselessly, without insults, looking him in the eye…"). Zorbas is the embodiment of the joy of life. Christ is shown as being sympathetic to people. Through his image, N. Kazantzakis himself is struggling and gains courage, hope and pleasure in his struggle. Christ is the beginning of the struggle between flesh and spirit, rebellion and resistance, reconciliation and obedience. The ultimate goal of the struggle is unity with God. According to Kazantzakis, the highest duty of a struggling person is precisely the ascent of Christ, to which he calls us. But before following him, it is necessary to get deeply into the meaning of his struggle, to know how he overcame all obstacles and climbed to the top. The writer, fascinated by Christ, considers him a fighter, follows his path, and claims that his way is right in achieving his goal.

An important factor in the formation of the personality of N. Kazantzakis is the realization that he is Cretan. In Chapter 7, "The Struggle of Crete with Turkey," are described the life of the Cretans, their struggle for the freedom of Crete, for reunification with Greece, Chapter 10 is devoted to the massacre of the Armenians on Crete, in Chapter 11 "Freedom" Kazandzakis admits: ". I thank God for that, that He gave me birth, that I am Cretan". A long and murderous struggle of the Cretan people for their freedom made the very notion of "freedom" the greatest one for the inhabitants of Crete. The writer considers all the life phenomena through the prism of freedom, and it becomes the basis of his own philosophical system. In addition, there is a spiritual freedom, which is understood by Kazantzakis, as the liberation of the soul, of its inner world from eternal predecessors. The N. Kazantzakis psychological freedom consisted in the independence of a single goal, which he had been pursuing all his life, the acquisition of freedom.

"The Report to El Greco" is built in a linear chronology: from the childhood to the old age. Comparing the biography of the writer and the events described in the novel, we can conclude that the novel highlights only the vivid facts of his life, which to some extent left a mark in the memory of N. Kazantzakis. Such events can include the mentioning of his ancestors, his parents, his primary school, the Crete revolt, the arrival of Prince George and the proclamation of the Cretan independent state, the writer’s travelling. That is why, the narrative is episodic in which the place and time matter.

Conclusion. Thus, N. Kazantzakis in the novel "The Report to El Greco" discloses his philosophical views on religion, the destiny of the creative personality, the relationship of the people with his writers. For Nikos Kazantzakis the essence of God is his striving to gain freedom, which is achieved through the perfection of the spirit. An internal freedom of a creative person consists in appealing to his ancestors, to his national sources. Only they are able to help in the spiritual ascent, in reconciliation of the inner and outer life. Three aspects, God, freedom and ancestors, are closely interweaved in the life and work of N. Kazantzakis. In the Spanish artist of the Cretan origin, El Greco Kazantzakis finds not only a spiritual father to whom he can confess, but also the person whose temperament and vital quest resemble the writer himself. The common origin, conflicts with the church, the thirst for freedom in creative expression, the strength of spirit unite El Greco and Kazantzakis.