Character

Ieva Simonaitytė

Priekule (Lithuania) 23-01-1897 ‖ Vilnius (Lithuania) 27-11-1978

Period of activity: From 1914 until 1965

Geographical classification: Europe > Lithuania

Socio-cultural movements

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Realism (art and literature)

Groups by dedication

Writers

Writers > Poets

Context of feminine creation

Ieva Simonaitytė was most inspired by those Lithuanian authors who spoke about their love for Lithuania in their works. Such authors were Maironis, Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė, Vincas Kudirka, Pranas Vaičaitis.

It is hard to believe, but Ieva Simonaitytė did not attend any school. She learned to write and read on her own by reading books written by Protestants in libraries. Later she also studied on her own, only deepening her knowledge by reading German literature and translations of other nations' literature into German and Lithuanian. The uncertainty of which generation’s ancestors inherited an irresistible urge to write and a unique talent to portray epic family and tribal history and human characters.

Other Lithuanian women writers of the same period were Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė, Gražina Tulauskaitė, Bronė Buivydaitė and Salomėja Nėris.

Review

Ieva Simonaitytė is a representative of the Mažoji Lietuva region (Small Lithuania - one of the regions in Lithuania) who felt the moral duty to become a chronicler of her native land. The writer of fascinating biography and strong character immortalized the uniqueness of Mažoji Lietuva, reflected on the historical destiny of this region, revealed a fresco of a household little known to Greater Lithuania, painted a gallery of ethnic types, and captured a remnant of old folklore.

Justifications

She was a writer.
In her works, Ieva Simonaitytė outlined Lithuania Minor's uniqueness, analyzed its fate and nurtured the importance of history.
Moral themes also predominate in the writer's work. Creativity consists of recessions, great difficulties, disasters and sadness of XVIII, XIX and XX centuries of Lithuania's history. Still, these aspects are also based on happiness when fighting for one's customs, language, and the nation's fate.
It also delves into human nature, the very development of the personality.

Biography

Ieva Simonaitytė, born on January 23, 1897, was a writer of novels and autobiographical short stories from the Klaipėda district. Ieva Simonaitytė showed very clearly in her works the life in the Klaipėda region. Who was different from other parts of Lithuania.

This famous writer grew up without her father’s care. Ieva Simonaitytė did not attend school due to a serious illness, so she was taught by her mother. From an early age, Ieva was accustomed to working that was not easy for her, because of her illness. This woman had also tried various jobs like a seamstress, consultant and editor and translator. Various fields of work pushed the writer to get involved in the activities of the Lithuanian press. Creativity opened the world to Ieva Simonaityte and helped her discover herself and understand her infinite talent. After her most famous literature work - "Aukštųjų Šimonių likimas", she was admitted to the Writers' Union. The writer, who saw the endless effort, remained strong and was highly respected by the public. Ieva Simonaitytė was a personality who strongly studied moral problems and reached the heights of national self-consciousness. Much to her credit, she has released a number of famous works.

Works

Aukštųjų Šimonių likimas [en]

Aukštųjų Šimonių likimas (1935)
Pavasarių audroj (1938)
Vilius Karalius (1939)
Be tėvo (1941)

Bibliography

Manfredas Žvirgždas, Viktorija Šeina, Ieva Simonaitytė (http://www.xn--altiniai-4wb.info/index/details/1375)

Albina Potrienė, Ieva Simonaitytė (https://maironiomuziejus.lt/post-t-exhibitions/ieva-simonaityte/)

Didactic approach

Lithuanian Literature.