What love story is complete without the backdrop of war and influence of a growing dictatorship? And what historical narrative can be considered captivating without a little romantic plotline? Instead of spending months agonizing over the actions of Pierre Bezukhov from War and Peace, engage in the experiences of individuals under Russian rule during the 1940s, with a tale of love, suffering, and self discovery in a mere 50 pages. Chingiz Aitmatov’s Jamila exemplifies the conflict between tradition and trauma, telling the story of a young woman in a collectivized village somewhere in Kazakhstan. The narrator of the story, a young brother-in-law of the woman, depicts the beauty of love, nature, and art in the context of authoritative terror. The story illustrates a child’s coming of age in a time when everyone is forced into adulthood by an oppressive power.
Born into a multiethnic family in a time of oppression and Russification, Chingiz Aitmatov represents a large population of people subject to the mass oppression of the Soviet Union. Aitmatov writes in both Russian and Kyrgyz illustrating his loyalty to heritage and obligation to the state. His writing displays how his experiences shaped an individual narrative of the historical events he lived through, and Jamila is one of many stories allowing an audience to immerse themselves in this world.
The novella begins with the narrator describing a piece of artwork prompting a recollection of the experience which inspired the painting. The reader is then transported back to the childhood of the storyteller, the tale is set in a Kazakh village during the 1940s. Like many other collectivized villages in the Soviet states, men of appropriate age were forced into civil service, while elders, women, and children were expected to participate in agricultural labor. Aitmatov focuses on the interpersonal relationships of the village as opposed to the political and social controls restricting the people. Despite the Soviet social policies regarding national identity and expression of religious beliefs, the villagers maintain the nomadic traditions of their ancestors and continue to practice Islam. The cultural precedent dictates the dynamics between Aitmatov’s characters, bringing to light his own multiethnic identity. The reader is then immersed in a community guided by their sense of national responsibility in spite of their obligation to Soviet rule.
Aitmatov’s narrator was born into a family where the older male figures were sent off to the war, making his female relatives the basis of his perception of strength and responsibility. The young woman whose namesake graces the title page is not a blood-relation to the narrator, but occupies the role of an older sister. Jamila is unlike the other women in the village, she is characterized with male traits, inspiring awe in the other villagers as well as in the narrator. However Jamilya is not simply a story of love in wartime, the central conflict of the story revolves around a wounded soldier, with these three actors forced to transport grain since the men who would typically head up this labor had been sent to the frontlines.
Throughout the novel Aitmatov emphasizes the various aspects of emotional, mental, and physical suffering of those involved in Soviet collectivization. Daniyar, the soldier, represents the people who survived the war and came back just to fight through the labor, the physical trauma. Jamilya depicts the strife and struggles felt in the efforts to follow one’s sense of responsibility to family, and play one’s expected role, the emotional trauma. The narrator illustrates the conflict between what is familiar and what is unknown as he continuously fights with the meaning of fate, the mental trauma. Aitmatov’s writing prompts the reader with questions of identity, duty, and passion as the story unfolds.
In order to paint this intricate picture for his audience Aitmatov utilizes the visuals of nature, the childish attitude of his young narrator, and multiple artistic mediums. The reader must engage with each word to imagine the setting of the narrator’s memory. At every shift in tone or content Aitmatov includes a depiction of the landscape. If the reader is unfamiliar with the Kazakh steppe they must rely on the narrator to visualize the changes in emotion and attitude. While this may be a limitation preventing an audience from fully engaging with a text, Aitmatov’s writing is accessible and effective for readers with any amount of experience with the subject matter, the setting of the story, and the cultural references central to the themes of the novella.
Although not intended to be a coming of age story for the narrator, his youthfulness is vital to the plot. His understanding of interpersonal relationships, family responsibilities, and the development of his emotions is dependent on his age. Throughout the novella Aitmatov makes subtle references to the innocence of the narrator, depicting a young man who is gradually learning his role in the world, and how to become independent in a world forcing him to be the family supporter. His artwork is integral to these references since art represents a desire which seems unattainable due to his situation. However in his interactions with Jamilya and Daniyar he learns that the possibility of pursuing his passions is contingent upon his choice to break free from the role expected of him. Aitmatov captivates the reader by writing the story against the backdrop of war and collectivization, when the idea of “childhood” was nothing but a fairytale.
The painting is not the only expression of passion which Aitmatov uses in the novella. The climax of the story comes in the form of a song, illustrating the importance of mediums other than language through which people communicate. Despite a lack of lyrics, the audience is told the words are sung in Kyrgyz and Kazakh, provoking thoughts about cultural background, and the universality of verse. Aitmatov paints a picture of spirit, emotion, and beauty without using words, attesting to the power of poetry as a method of communication founded in feelings instead of text.
Unlike many novels regarding collectivization and village life in the Soviet states, Chingiz Aitmatov challenges readers to look beyond political and social contexts. The audience therefore must imagine the experience of a child, a young woman, and a wounded soldier, the details of which are limited to the recollection of a memory. This story of conflict in culture, emotion, and tradition provides a unique perspective on historical narrative. Despite only being about 50 pages long, this novella accomplishes what some writers cannot in thousands of pages. Even the most inartistic reader will want to pick up a brush or pen and bring to life the painting and lyrics described in the story. And Aitmatov’s work is undoubtedly worthy of such action.
Photo Credits:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Stamps_of_Kyrgyzstan%2C_2009-577.jpg
