The Forbidden Literature During the Soviet Union and Communist Albania, its Ethical Role, and Innovative Features: A Comparison of M. Bulgakov and K. Trebeshina

Literature is a vital tool for preserving moral stability, bringing attention to the human crisis, and reminding humanity about the risks that arise for the society and the individual when human rights and values are violated during turbulent political and moral times. These subjects are prevalent in the dissident literature of the 20th century, which emerged from the former communist countries. These works represent an effort for the "humane" to survive during periods of moral crises, political repression, and societal hypocrisy. This paper focuses in the comparison of two writers, the Russian M. Bulgakov and the Albanian K. Trebeshina, to exemplify the crucial role of literature in such times. Due to the political and cultural background, there are numerous well-known similarities between Albanian Socialist Realism and Soviet Socialist Realism; yet, there is little research about the similarities between the forbidden literatures. This paper analyses the similarities concerning the crucial topics of dissident literature, while drawing parallels regarding their modern and postmodern literary features. Combining the inductive and deductive methodologies , the emphasis is on comparative literary techniques, textual analysis and interpretation. This comparison contributes to our better understanding and evaluation of the past while also providing a more focused perspective on our future as it is portrayed in literature. Received: 3 May 2024 / Accepted: 30 June 2024 / Published: 5 July 2024