The Assistance of the Soft Literary Discourse in the Spiritual Enrichment of the Independent Albania

Abstract

Everything brought to the Albanian cultural and religious life, especially with the onset of the National Renaissance Movement, was prepared with love and care by its leaders, which ensured its good fruits.
The 1908 Alphabet Congress showed that unnecessary linguistic diversity could be halted. By adopting the Latin alphabet, a pro-Western approach was proven, where the European Renaissance had put the trust in man, and at the same time the approach to the eastern philosophy of evolution was taken.
The cozy position between East and West brought in the Albanian literary language the words: Fatherland-Religion, righteousness, goodness, soul, Albania, Albanian, gentry, independence, pledge, optimism for the future, bigotry, prosperity, understanding, softness, patience, sacrifice, humbleness, pardon, heart, book, faith, believer, loyalty, National Renaissance, democratic liberty, notebook, benevolence, pride, knight, valiant, progress, civilization, philosophy, folklore, ethnic, tradition, epic, Homer, leader, liturgy, fellowship, brotherhood, Muslim, Christian, Bektashi, Franciscan, Jesuit, Orthodox, Hajj, Hafiz,Father, Bishop, Archbishop, diplomat, speaker, republic, noble, blue, a white flag, ... followed by the line for hope and faith for the future of the nation and the homeland, the historical and cultural context in which they were woven urged Albanians to improve the cultural and the social reality. The translation of the Bible and parts of the Qur’an was followed by the translation of the world literature, culture and science masterpieces. Journalism, especially the magazine editions, stirred up discussions on neo-Albanianism, which preached the wayforward without causing detriment to the tradition. Words, phrases, names, nicknames, nomenclatures and expressions: rebellion, poisoning, revenge, politics, political / ideological judgment, revolutionary violence, prefect, bourgmaster, municipality, conservatism, rage, concern, fortress, our forces,socialism, capitalism, materialism, beg, aga, imperialism, proletarian internationalism, proletariat, collective, collectivization, co-operative, misery, the traitors should be wiped off, the worst obstacles to national development, class struggle, the small bourgeoisie, bourgeois, self-criticism, selfishness, proletarian morality, backward traditions, wallposter, woman’s emancipation, an action volunteer, King Zog the butcher, an anti-populist regime, a fugitive, a volunteer, the rich, the pauper, Jem the communist, an assassin, military training for the mass population, a blotch in one’s biography, family circle, folder, a party / youth club membership card, membership, kulak, backward, religious, red scarf, guerrilla unit, the red five-pointed star, basic organization, bureau, siege, Str.”Paris Commune”, “Red School” chimney, moccasin..., set in the relevant time contexts took on the value of concepts that conceived and encouraged hatred, that broke the model fraternity inherited by the wise men and yielded ideological conflicts and antagonistic classes. When the key word was politics / ideology everything else lost its value and the past was utterly denied, whereas education was deficient and based on the revolutionary triangle of studying-working-physical and military training. At the same time soft literary discourse, considered as a method and practice of oral and written communication, prevented the figurative meanings of fireplace, moccasin, farmer, beg, bourgeois, banker, clergy, Bolshevik, proletarian, communist, atheist... trying to prevent the spread of the Bolshevik ideology, which took sanctuary in the newly-formed middle class and was mainly embroiled in the emotional attitudes of social division. That ideology legitimized violence and class retaliation, sowed the seed of hatred and anticipated the advent of apocalyptic pessimism. Different from its widespread illusions, the communication culture obtained through the soft literary discourse invoked and hoped for understanding, which preceded the national brotherhood as a basis for the desired progress, especially in building the national conscience. The impact was dual. The soft literary discourse helped in strengthening self-confidence and in building a national consciousness and in accepting a critical attitude enriched with the philosophy of evolution, but on the other hand, this kind of collective memory helped in enriching this type of communication through the language. The foundation laid by the Albanian religious leaders served as a sound foundation for the further progress of this mass communication trend, which in time spread beyond the intellectual thought promoting more production than heroism. In its dissemination, the Albanian explanatory dictionaries played an important role and when it was attacked by the storms of the ideological monist era, when it was banned, disdained or legally expelled from use and when it was substituted by the revolutionary political vocabulary, the migrants took it with them so that it could survive in the USA, Italy, Germany and elsewhere and stay alive as a bright testimony of the soft literary discourse.