Katow
Encyclopedia
Katow (1885?-1927) is a character from André Malraux
's existential
novel Man's Fate
. He is a Soviet emissary and one of the organizers of a Communist insurrection in Shanghai
, China
. When the revolt fails and the Communists are left without ammunition, he is captured and later burned alive.
Katov's convictions and personality are left ambiguous. His physical appearance and his past are only vaguely described. It is stated that he was a medical student in 1905, but dropped out after having tried to help prisoners in the Odessa
prison in 1905. He escaped to Switzerland
, where he learned French, and was a refugee until 1912, when he made his clandestine return to Russia
. He was sentenced to five years of forced labor in a Siberia
n prison, where he was rumoured to have willingly accompanied other prisoners to the lead mines, with the sole purpose of instructing them. After his return from Siberia he became a factory worker and eventually met his wife, who later died.
It is revealed that Katow had served in the army in World War I
, fighting in Lithuania, where he is taken prisoner. The soldiers, including Katow, were forced to dig a ditch, undress in the freezing cold, and were shot by their captors. They missed Katow, however, along with seventeen others.
after reading the book. The analogy between Malraux's Katow and Dostoevsky's Schatov (a character of the 1872 novel The Possessed) leaves doubts as to the originality of Malraux's character.
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
's existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
novel Man's Fate
Man's Fate
Man's Fate is a 1933 novel written by André Malraux about the failed communist insurrection in Shanghai in 1927, and the existential quandaries facing a diverse group of people associated with the revolution...
. He is a Soviet emissary and one of the organizers of a Communist insurrection in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. When the revolt fails and the Communists are left without ammunition, he is captured and later burned alive.
Katov's convictions and personality are left ambiguous. His physical appearance and his past are only vaguely described. It is stated that he was a medical student in 1905, but dropped out after having tried to help prisoners in the Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
prison in 1905. He escaped to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he learned French, and was a refugee until 1912, when he made his clandestine return to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. He was sentenced to five years of forced labor in a Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
n prison, where he was rumoured to have willingly accompanied other prisoners to the lead mines, with the sole purpose of instructing them. After his return from Siberia he became a factory worker and eventually met his wife, who later died.
It is revealed that Katow had served in the army in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, fighting in Lithuania, where he is taken prisoner. The soldiers, including Katow, were forced to dig a ditch, undress in the freezing cold, and were shot by their captors. They missed Katow, however, along with seventeen others.
Controversy
Malraux's Katow was fiercely attacked by Vladimir NabokovVladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
after reading the book. The analogy between Malraux's Katow and Dostoevsky's Schatov (a character of the 1872 novel The Possessed) leaves doubts as to the originality of Malraux's character.