Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1976 (4. évfolyam, 9-12. szám)
1976 / 10. szám
Allied complicity, and the latter were not entirely guiltless. Both Friedrich and the Archduke claimed to have “found ready support among the representatives of the Entente missions,” and both recognitions and encouragement seemed to have been given by General Gorton and others. The reports of Gorton showed no distress with the events and Colonel Causey was quite enthusiastic about the steps taken by the new government to assure the representation of all factions in the government - according to the terms of the Supreme Council in Paris. The only problem mentioned was the continued occupation by the Romanian army whose behavior in Budapest prevented the proper functioning of the government. But the Romanians remained passive. Furthermore, Archduke Joseph’s hostility towards the Romanians was well known. The timing of the coup, and the place, on the Buda side of the Danube, were also unfavorable for Romanian plans, leaving any action they might take open to criticism from the Supreme Council. Finally, the excesses of the Romanian occupying forces, directed to bringing down the Friedrich government, even drew Allied censure. Dr. Balogh is Assist. Prof, of History at Yale University. □ Congdon, Lee, "History and Politics in Hungary: the Rehabilitation of Oszkár Jaszi,” East European Quarterly IX (Fall 1975) 315-329. Congdon starts with the statement that historiography and politics in Hungary have always been interpreted from political rather than historical viewpoints, and Oszkár Jaszi’s work thus has undergone several different evaluations. Jaszi turned to the study of society during his university days, partly under the inspiration of Prof. Gyula Pickler’s attacks on the theory of natural law. He founded the sociological and political journal, Huszadik Század., in 1900 and became editor-in-chief in 1907 upon returning from Paris convinced that he was suited to be an activist rather than a scholar. He turned his energies to fundamental social and political reform, focusing on the introduction of universal suffrage and the secret ballot, division of the large estates among the peasants, and the faithful implementation of the liberal Nationalities Law of 1868. In 1918-19 he was a member of the Karolyi government, but when that failed he left for Vienna. He eventually settled in the U.S. and continued to speak out on liberal Hungarian issues. While the Horthy regime was in power, Jaszi was condemned as a revolutionary and a Jew. During the coalition government immediately after the war, Gyula Merei published a reappraisal of Jaszi’s work in which he concluded that his ideas “were the product of a free and morally-sensitive mind reflecting upon the ills of a semi-feudal society." In 1960, the Marxist historian György Fuka'sz, however, attacked Jaszi for providing the social and political theories that had provided a “certain impulse” to the 1956 uprising. Concerned with discrediting the short-lived Nagy regime, Fukász attacked Jaszi for not having been a Marxist and for being “the representative of petit bourgeois democracy.” These views, however, reflect the party line of the Rákosi era, and historiansinthe1960swereable to attack Fukász. József Varga suggests that Jaszi, like Ady, moved in the direction of socialism and had had a fairly correct view on the nationalities. Zoltán Horvath’s Magyar századforduló also re-examined the generation of Hungarian intellectuals ARTICLES (Continued) of the turn of the century and concluded that Jaszi’s radicalism offered the only feasible solution to the problems faced by Hungary at the time. He further argues that a distinction be made between non-Marxist and anti-Marxist. Horvath’s book was a signal for the rehabilitation of Jaszi, and studies have since examined his role in the development of adult education and his contribution to the study of the nationalities question. The author is Prof, of History at 4 Madison College in Virginia. □ Mark, Thomas R., "The Tragedy of Man: Salvation or Tragedy?” Acta Litteraria 15 (3-4, 1974) 291-308. When reviewing the critiques of the Tragedy of Man since the time it was written by Madách, it is obvious that it was frequently seen as reflecting a pessimistic philosophy of life. Salvation, or the hope of a better life through revolution, mitigate the pessimism in the interpretations of Greguss, Arany, and Sőtér. Mark argues that the work should be examined in terms of what it “is doing” rather than in terms of what it says, i.e., whether it is true or not. He poses two hypothetical tragedies: a sociological one (Scenes 1-11) which would fit the modern interpretations of the play and be essentially a modern morality play; and a philosophical one (Scenes 11 -13) in which Adam seeks to find in the future what he has lost in the past. In this second tragedy, the shift from past history to future speculation poses a problem particularly in the audiences’ identification with Adam. The Eskimo scene, disregarded in the two hypothetical tragedies clarifies the logic of the historical scenes, changes the functions of Adam, and even the sense of the central question: “What is the meaning of life?” The historical scenes show loss of meaningfulness, and Adam now sums up mankind. The nature of tragedy, however, is that it can only raise questions, and invite us to provide our own answers - it does not give answers. But, through the framework, Madach has set up the mechanism for absolute answer. For the work to be viable, a tension must be maintained “between the relative answers to the basic question and any absolute answer that may be forthcoming.” In Scene 15, Mark points out, the question, “What is the meaning of life when the very category of meaning has been emptied of any possible content and nothing can ever become meaningful?” is answered. The truth of Adam’s vision is not mitigated, nor is there a hinting at other-worldly compensation, butaseriesof gestures, both dramatic and verbal, convey the meaning. Thomas R. Mark is Prof, of English at Coloardo State U. □ Lathom, Wanda, “Application of Kodály’s Concepts in Music Therapy,” Journal of Music Therapy XI (Spring 1974) 13-20. The article outlines music education in Hungary, based on the use of “relative solmization,” which relates the “sol-fa” to visual symbolization. Children thus learn to read notation and understand concepts of harmony at an early age. The materials - folk songs - are such that the child can master each step fully before learning more complicated melodies. Review, repetition, game songs, and rote learning are used rather than complex instructions. Physical contact is also emphasized, and hand signals are used to teach rote songs. All of these methods of learning are used to reinforce the concept to be used. The application of this method to therapy are particularly effective, especially if materials of aesthetic value are (Continued on page 8) NO. 10, 1976, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER 7
