The Relationship between Literary Generations: Tradition and Rebellion Cover Image

The Relationship between Literary Generations: Tradition and Rebellion
The Relationship between Literary Generations: Tradition and Rebellion

Author(s): Eka Vardoshvili
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Georgian literature
Published by: БАЛКАНИСТИЧЕН ФОРУМ - МЕЖДУНАРОДЕН УНИВЕРСИТЕТСКИ СЕМИНАР ЗА ПРОУЧВАНИЯ И СПЕЦИАЛИЗАЦИИ
Keywords: literary generations; fathers and sons; Ilia Chavchavadze; Georgian literature; cultural modernization; nineteenth-century Georgia

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the relationship between literary generations in nineteenth-century Georgia through the well-known confrontation between the “fathers” and the “sons” during the 1860s–1870s. Focusing on the literary, cultural, and ideo-logical debates between representatives of the older generation, most notably the romantic poet Grigol Orbeliani, and the younger generation led by the realist writ-er Ilia Chavchavadze, the study explores how generational conflict became a cata-lyst for broader social and cultural transformation. Particular attention is paid to disputes over language reform, literary aesthetics, education, and the future devel-opment of Georgian society. Drawing on literary works, publicistic writings, and contemporary debates, the article argues that the victory of the younger generation contributed to the democratization of the Georgian literary language, the strengthening of realist literature, and the formation of a modern national con-sciousness. The study demonstrates that the conflict between literary generations reflected wider processes of modernization and Georgia’s integration into contem-porary European intellectual and cultural currents.

  • Issue Year: 2/2026
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 115-122
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: English
Toggle Accessibility Mode