Abstract: Marshall Berman interpreted the modernity of Russian literature with his own theory about the experience of modernity and the perspective of spatial criticism. He pointed out that the evolution of “little men” of Russian literature embodied the development of Russian modern thoughts. The duality of the coexisting real and insubstantial nature, the self-ironic forms of expression and the unique passion of Russian literature were argued as the essential elements which constituted the basic characteristics of its modernity, as well as making Russian modernism the archetypal example for the Third World. Berman’s interpretation integrates unique theory and textual study, and his opinions are very inspiring.
Key words: Russian literature, the experience of modernity, city space.
The Chinese version appeared in Journal of Nanjing Normal University, 2019(05).