Gender inversion in the ‘critique of a critic’. Zinaida Gippius on Korney Chukovsky

Examined in the article is an obscure feuilleton called ‘An immature critic’ [‘Nevzrosliy kritik’] (1914), penned by Anton Krayniy (Z. Gippius) with Korney Chukovsky in mind. The article sets out to identify the role of gender inversion in the feuilleton’s intended purpose and unique genre characteristics. Having analysed the semantics of two variants of the title and subtitle (‘A study in inverted commas’ [‘Etyud v kavychkakh’]), critical techniques and quotation strategies, the scholar finds that Gippius’ metacritical piece is a spoof. A female critic (in a male disguise) expounds on the ‘feminine soul’ of a male critic, employing his own techniques and making a witty use of a female stereotype according to Weininger (‘a prostitute’). It appears that the feuilleton’s initial title implied not just an individual characteristic of Chukovsky’s, but ‘journalistic prostitution’ in general and critical feuilletons in particular — a genre practised by Gippius as well. The final choice of the title stresses the distinction of Krayniy’s journalistic (‘masculine’) criticism from the aesthetic (‘feminine,’ ‘immature’) criticism espoused by Chukovsky.