Klanderud "Ilf and Petrov's poetic world"

K looks at the Soviet world at this time as a question of involvement or noninvolvement in the new society as a sort of "with us or against us"

He leads a discussion on the use of language -particularly the bureaucratic language and Soviet Newspeak - as leading to man's dehumanization and to transformation to a non-thinking automoton. I and P use this language to emasculate and parody.

the language doesn't reflect the reality as much as it replaces it. Words replace deeds once people give it undue authority. 444

I and P lay bare the cliches and the official language. Compared to Zoschenko, whose characters use the new terms incorrectly and with humor. I and P show the new forms for all their ostantatiousness, but emptyness. they apply a sort of "defamiliarization" to the words that make up the new Soviety reality. They show how the language became a part of people's lives, yet didn't make them any more meaningful and were lost on emigres. 445

I and P were pointing out the distortions in a system that they belived in at least on the idea level. 446

They took what could have been found in any Pravda and turned it upside down. They change the conent of the structure and parody the meaning in such phrases.

447

They recognize that their own sphere, writitng, has also been regimented and they play on this with Bender's "Ceremonial Set."449

They are most critical of those on the inside that cannot think for themselves - bureaucrats and other writers that used the lexical crutches of the new words. The characters in their novels end up speaking abou the revolution because of the words they are forced to use and cannot even comment on what is taking place around them - The train line.

Bender is a noninvolved person in the new society. He takes advantage of those that should be contributing to the new socity, but end up hindering it because they are slaves to the new forms. He does a good deed for socity by taking people to task for not thinking for themselves.451

3 stages of Bender's skill:

1. Recognition of the cliches that his new aquaintance represensts.

2. paraody and mimicry of the discourse and enthusiasm.

3. exploitation of the beliefs into B's own gain. 451

Bender is not meant as a positive hero, but he is the only one with the energy and initiative to make a difference as a new Soviet Man. He can be seen as rogue or as a warning against those that would succumb to linguistic dehumanization. I and P don't attack the system in this way, but only the distortions and the ideals when the system is run by lazy folk content to let the system rust. 453