ACR paragraph by Oliinyk Kateryna

Argument	Counterargument	Rebuttal
‘form’ as a starting point which creates the ‘content’ for itself	mechanical and algebraical opinion without creative inspiration	-          ‘content’ had been already done and just can be used again; -          value of “the labyrinth of the clutches”;

In the beginning of the past century the question of ‘form’ as a base of the composition was advanced to the forefront in the literary studies. One reason of reorientation from ‘what’ to ‘how’ is the idea about ‘form’ as a starting point which creates the ‘content’ for itself. What is more, formalists were denying the usual opposition of ‘form’ and ‘contents’ and were stressing on the unity of both plans of the composition. On the other hand, there still were lots of scientists who pursued to learn the ‘content’ only. The idea about importance of ‘form’ was rejected as a mechanical and algebraical opinion without creative inspiration. Besides, only position based on ‘content’ allowed to be inserted into the literary studies with its orientation on the social and political value of a composition. However, formalists doubted even the term of ‘content’ and offered to substitute it on ‘material’. According to their works, all the plots, motifs and artistic images had been already done and just can be used again: “The essential to represent was not the quality of what was combined, but to show how this was happened - “the labyrinth of the clutches”” [1; 96]. This means that individuality of the author can be described just in the building of ‘form’. Therefore, literary studies were reoriented to the new idea of ‘form’ as a base of the composition, and it was a big step to creative individuality over the social and political servant.   

1.               Matvienko S. A Discourse of a Formalism: the Ukrainian Context / S. Matvienko. - Lviv: Litopys, 2004. - 142 p.