Hungarian Literature

Abstract

The same applies, in more or less degree, to Hungarian literature as applies to the literature of other similarly placed, politically precarious countries such as Poland or Czechoslovakia: there is a definite relationship to Western European literature, but this tends to be disguised by the fact that the native literature is a natural instrument of nationalism. Even hermetically inclined poets become patriotic in times of trouble. Movements tend to arrive late in such countries. There is an additional reason why, in the case of Hungary, the general pattern appears distorted: whereas such a country as Poland proudly acknowledges a strong Latin influence, Hungary — whose language is not Indo-European but Finno-Ugric — has its own special standards. At first these were extremely conservative; then — after a brief interval — with the advent of the communist state, they have been the official ones of socialist realism (q.v.). Of course, socialist realism can give rise to excellent writings when it follows a long period of corrupt, conservative repression; but the viable movement is invariably very short-lived. However, literature has been more fortunate in Hungary than anywhere else in the Soviet empire except Poland and the Baltic states. To defend Admiral Horthy as a human being would not be desirable; but, although a murderer in the sense that he condoned murder, he was himself no fascist, and preferred a permanently elected democratic parliamentary government of the right. It was owing to him that there was a liberal press in Hungary between the wars; he did his best to be a moderate man, and kept the actual fascists and racists out of the way for much of the time.