Institute for Advanced Studies of Arad

Getting Acquainted Outstanding People's Life as a Way to Spiritual
Self-Perfection

"The Israeli reader, when spoken of, known by the "uncommonness of his face's expression". In the scale of values of the majority of the readers literature occupies a very significant place." B. Yehoshua

This paper aims to analyse how some aspects of outstanding people's life told either by themselves or by researchers or known from documents can influence the reader.

The interdependence between the society's spiritual wealth and the people constituting the society is beyond all questions. For instance, it is very interesting to look at the readers' number dynamics in this country. In 1984 42% of adult Israelis read books, in 1990 75% of adult Israelis read books, and 89% read newspapers and magazines. Publishing activity in Israel rather impressive. For instance, from September 1986 till 1987 13 mln copies of books were published. Employees of book shops and libraries point to increasing market for books by A. Yehoshua, A. Appelfeld, A. Oz, N. Altman, Sh. Agnon and other Israeli poets and writers. Such an interest is caused by several factors, e.g. certain allusions of autobiographicalness of some of their writings. In the municipal library of Arad 10% of readers are used to getting acquainted with outstanding people's life histories.

It is commonly known that creativity is the most important part of the outstanding person's life. One cannot but agree with A. F. Konie that " it is creation which is joy, all other things are just dust and vanity". One can easily imagine that it is creative activity of a Genius, which is especially attractive for the reader.

When we reflect upon same creations associated with inspiration periods (as it happened to Charsky, the hero of "The Egyptian Nights" by A. S. Pushkin), or with a well scheduled regular activity (as was inherent in George Sand or Ernest Rutherford) we repeatedly become sure that all those who achieved the shining summits of science or art distinguished themselves through their.

Everyday hard, persistent and incessant labour entered the life of geniuses mostly in their childhood and kept going on throughout the time fate placed at their disposal. When familiarizing himself with the outstanding personality's biography, every reader becomes convinced that a high professionalism in any field presupposes extensive erudition and skills attained through hard labour.

The famous English poet and translator Alexander Pope wrote: " The paucity of knowledge is a dangerous thing". We understand that these words are addressed to everyone. Indeed who would like to employ an ignoramus?

The reader is eagerly interested in facts of fruitful prompting the child to creative activity (as it was in the case of such men as Marcel Proust or Sergei Aksakov), as well as in stories about how to obtain the ability to see and to observe.

We almost hear how B. Asafiev telling his disciples: "Look at Scriabine's feet rather than hands when he is playing the piano" (the outstanding pianoist A. Scriabine was known to be a peerless master in using the pedal).

One cannot but admire the long-standing creativity of M. Shagal or J. Verdi; I strongly believe that it is due to their enthusiastic incessant work.

One cannot but feel a sorrowful sympathy and amazed worship when touching to the pages in which it is written in which condition deaf L. Van Beethoven created his immortal music.

Of course, everyone during his life passes his own school of pain and heavy heart but such facts make us think once more about the inner strengths that give birth to patience, charity, goodness.

Of indubitable interest for the reader is the epoch the hero of the book lived in. It is important for us how the hero gets to know his epoch, how he changes his attitude to the surrounding world - everything has its impact on the attentive reader's soul.

In his book about the famous French writer Allen Andre' Maurois noted: "The poet does not need a great plot while the biographer needs a great fate".

Well known are the cases of imitating a genius (for instance, the disciples of Blaise Paskal went to the monastery) but this did not give birth to any revolutionary achievement in science .

It is important that of the biography reader gets to know the hero's life, feels himself concerned in the hero's life and creation, admires him. Such a reading grants the reader a moral experience, convinces him of a possibility to achieve some higher tops, inspires him with a faith in himself, provokes his self-perfection.