Balys Sruoga
Balys Sruoga | |
---|---|
Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union | |
Resting place | Chapel of Rasos Cemetery |
Nationality | Lithuanian |
Education | Doctor's Degree in Psychology |
Genre | Symbolic poetry, playwright, novelist |
Notable works | Dievų miškas (Forest of the Gods) |
Spouse | Vanda Daugirdaitė-Sruogienė |
Children | Dalia Sruogaitė |
Balys Sruoga (February 2, 1896 – October 16, 1947) was a
Early life
He contributed to cultural journals from his early youth. His works were published by the liberal wing of the Lithuanian cultural movement, and also in various Lithuanian newspapers and other outlets (such as
After returning to Lithuania, Sruoga taught at the
Nazi captivity
The forest of the Gods
Sruoga's best known work is the novel
In the book, Sruoga revealed life in a concentration camp through the eyes of a man whose only way to save his life and maintain his dignity was to view everything through a veil of irony and humor, where torturers and their victims are exposed as imperfect human beings, being far removed from the false ideals of their political leaders. For example, he wrote "A man is not a machine. He gets tired.", referring to the
Originally the novel was suppressed by the Soviet officials; it was ultimately published in 1957, ten years after the author's death.
In 2005, a movie with the same title as the book was released. The film Forest of the Gods became the most profitable film released after Lithuania restored its independence.[citation needed]
Later life
After the Soviets liberated the Nazi camps, Sruoga continued to be held in the same camp. However, in 1945, he returned to Vilnius and continued teaching at Vilnius University, where he wrote the dramas Pajūrio kurortas and Barbora Radvilaitė.
The authorities' refusal to publish Forest of The Gods and weak health resulting from his time in concentration camps led to his death in October 16, 1947. He succumbed during his return journey from Kaunas to Vilnius due to complications arising from a cold.[2] The 2005 film Forest of the Gods was based on the book.
References
- ^ This uprising was immortalized in the play by Balys Sruoga Apyaušrio dalia ( Destiny of the Dawn , 1945 )
- ^ Baltic Online Lesson 2: Lithuanian