Maria Zhukova

Maria Semyonovna Zhukova was born in 1805 in Arzamas, where her father was a lawyer. They later moved to Saratov. Maria spent her early years in the Tambov province and grew up in a reasonably modest upper class family, where she gained a critical but affectionate appreciation of provincial ways. Her early education in languages and literature was most likely acquired while she was a companion to a daughter of the local nobility. Maria was married at the age of 17 or 18 to a local landowner who served as a district judge. The marriage did not persist past the early stages. They eventually separated, but only after Maria had given birth to her only son. == Literary Themes and Scholarly Impact ==

Writing as a Woman's Profession Although historically, there were significantly fewer female writers than male writers in Russia, the amount of Russian women's writing that has been translated into English is far less proportionate than that of Russian literature written by men. In fact, a good deal of foundational women's writing on the 19th century only started being translated in the 1990s. Therefore, even by being semi-successful as Russian female writer and having works that survived into the 21st century meant that writers like Zhukova who entered the profession due to economic necessity and seemed to, "have been little conscious of her status as a literary pioneer," could be considered foundational to this literary tradition. In fact, Zhukova was one of the first prose writers, irrespective of gender, to declare they were specifically devoted to specializing in prose writing rather than opting for the poetry characteristic of the Romantic period. Literary Context of Zhukova's Work Although the publication of Russian literature written by women was highly irregular and the translation of it is still severely limited, women's literature as a genre in Russia still followed distinct conceptual threads where, within limited periods of time, women writers would respond, challenge, or 'echo' the work of their predecessors. Zhukova herself took part in the literary tradition of the 'society tale' which was common in women's writing at the time and descended from the 'provincial tale'. Zhukova wrote with more practicality than previous writers of the Romantic period where her characters avoided the melodrama so common among female characters in 19th century literature, and instead opted for more sociological characteristics. That said, it is important to note that Zhukova was writing out of financial necessity, and therefore wrote altogether palatable characters and stories. While she was concerned with the precision and depth of her characters, she also wrote in a way that would accommodate public taste. This resulted in Zhukova's stories taking a more critical look at systems and customs surrounding the family unit and the domestic sphere, rather than greater societal and institutional structures. Although Zhukova was concerned with how marketable her stories were, this does not mean they were not critical or expository. For instance, works like Baron Reichman take a critical stance on heterosexual love, relationships, and the nuances of the extramarital relations of women in patriarchal society. Questions about honour, heterosexual love, and of the differences between an 'innocent' and an 'experienced' woman subtly shine through Zhukova's work. While Zhukova does not appear to be a revolutionary and seemingly did not consider herself a literary pioneer, the method and reasoning behind her writing was unique and progressive within the context in which she was writing. Where other female authors might have embodied the 'tortured' or 'feverish' creative, Zhukova represented the 'productive' writer, a position that was somewhat unprecedented for women at the time. ==Works==

• Evenings on the Karpovka (1838–1839). Short stories. • Sketches of Southern France and Nice (1844). Travel accounts. • A Summer Place on the Peterhof Road (1845). Novella. ==References==