Classic does not age. This statement has the potential to be the name of the banal, but almost everything that is called trite, untrue. So, classical works and classics because they are, in fact, become obsolete. The issues contained in them, are equally relevant at all times precisely because the answers have to look for each of the following generations. The novel by English writer John Galsworthy's "The Forsyte Saga" certainly earned the right to be called a classic. For topic covered in it, it finds the response so far and is directly related to the peculiarities of the psychology of the contemporary Russians.

"The Forsyte Saga" a truly large-scale work - only seven major novels, not including eight novels, is not officially included in the "Saga", but also thematically related Forsyte clan members. Therefore, it is not something that a summary of events and for an elementary enumeration of all the characters who have at least some value to the story, it would take a couple of articles. So that limited their coverage of the main points relevant to the theme of our conversation. Especially in Russia, not so long ago lost the title of "most reading on the planet," "The Forsyte Saga" read and read very, very many.

"The Forsyte Saga" is extended in time as the date of the publication of each subsequent novel, and the chronology of events described by the story about the life of the English bourgeois family of the late XIX Forsytes 20-ies of XX centuries. The founder of the family was Dosset Forsyth, who through hard work, enterprise and managed to a certain share of luck in the first half of the last century to go from a simple mason to the owner of this building empire, one of the representatives of the big bourgeoisie of Victorian England. His ten children, of which the main role was played by six brothers and their descendants, and made numerous Forsyte clan. And it is the ups and downs of life of the family is invited to watch the readers.

What is important and interesting from the standpoint of modern psychology? First of all, it is well-kept, but have a decisive impact on the behavior and actions of the Forsyte insecurity .  These are the people belonging to the bourgeoisie only in the second or third generation, they still extremely strong genetic memory of their father and grandfather was born and raised in poverty .  And the return of the poverty, the loss of existing wealth and comfortable life Forsytes overwhelmingly panic fear .  Naturally, they are anyone, not even themselves will not admit it, hiding his fear stressed contempt for the people "of the lower classes" and fierce condemnation of those family members, who refuse the main value in life to accept the money, reputation, social status .  The situation is aggravated by the fact that almost every Forsythe there personal issues that fuel these fears' return to the bottom "- you have to recognize that even the wealth and reputation does not help in unhappy family life, or in the sense of his own loneliness Loneliness - this is not new, or why am I still alone? .

But the money in the family Forsyte to the point turned into a totem, literally in the same "golden calf", which to worship and to subordinate all his thoughts and desires that these people literally bring this idol sacrifices .  They donate them to almost all men, there is the notion of "family" .  Family Forsyte almost no resemblance to a real family, more in character, it resembles a kind of stock exchange .  People on this exchange rate each other from a position of commercial viability: each for all the others (except for a few family "black sheep") is not a brother, niece, aunt or father, as a potential object of investment capital .  The relationship here is not much resemble the relationship between native people, rather it is similar to the rates of different stocks, and rumors (Forsytes communicate with each other and about each other mainly by a hearing) or to take any changes in the valuations of most stocks .  Anyone from both the family and the outside world is estimated to financial and commercial position - as it itself is rich, as investment in it (communication, assistance, etc.) will be cost-effective, and how well it manages its capital in terms of semi- Exchange (ie, it brings money to the family - the stock exchange or recklessly spend them on "foreign") .

In this sense, "The Forsyte Saga", or more precisely the attitude to it is a good indicator of changes in Russian psychology over time .  In Soviet times, when any opportunity to use Western art as a propaganda tool, "The Forsyte Saga" was presented in far too accentuate the meaning of that and gave him John Galsworthy - as a denunciation of the changes in human nature under the influence of big money .  In the 1990s, when our country money, headband, the property became the basic life values .  The main objectives, the perception of the product almost completely reversed .  Now Forsythe, with their money for the erection of a pedestal, became very apparent characters and even role models .  Come numerous conversations on Western ethics, which, they say, and allows them to live in prosperity and comfort, and that is necessary, as Forsythe, think first of all about the material well-being, and all these fables about the spiritual life and moral principles are good for those who fed, shod and has a place to live .  Therefore, fear of poverty, and the perception of others in terms of material utility, described in "The Forsyte Saga" .

Then came, in general, well-fed and stable 2000s, it became fashionable to play glamor Glamour - the charm of bad taste   and a certain elitism .  On this wave of easy come romantic condemnation Forsyte - "oh, well, what they were primitive ... well, except that the only happiness in money? After all, even the need to read the actual fashionable novels, to visit exhibitions of contemporary artists and shows art-house theater directors - in short, to develop spiritually " .  But when times of crisis to come, as the majority of Russian readers of "Saga" again took the side of the Forsyte .  And it is here that the main idea of ​​the work is the main principle of life heroes - possessiveness in all its manifestations .  It was only the first sign of possessiveness was the desire for wealth, followed by possessiveness towards the close people and in the end, there are attempts to make their property, even happy, to tie him to her, locked in a safe deposit box and write down a deposit .  That is what is closest to us, the modern readers of "The Forsyte Saga", because we are the very "young capitalists" who, with varying degrees of success amassed their capital or aspire to it .  And we also sits the fear of poverty, and we also believe that with the help of possessiveness can purchase their own happiness .

While the emphasis in the perception of "The Forsyte Saga" in our psychology alternated turns - condemnation Forsyte - approval - censure - approval again. Will the chain continue and further whether it be referred to the next link "condemnation" or psychological thread end to the "approval" is anyone's guess. We'll wait ...

Alexander Babitsky