Biography Essay

The body of works of Gyula Illyes combines popular, national, and universal interests. Most of Illyes's readers and critics share the opinion that his life and works serve as a distinct reflection of the social and political changes in Hungary for much of the twentieth century. Obsessed in his writings with the future of the Hungarian nation, Illyes incorporated throughout his works the plight of the peasantry as a thematic concern. He believed that literature was an essential means to educate people and to bring about constructive change for the betterment of humanity.

Illyes was born on 2 November 1902 in Racegrespuszta to Janos and Ida (Kallay) Illyes. He spent his early childhood among the agricultural laborers of the puszta (prairie). One of his grandfathers was a shepherd, the other a craftsman. His father worked for a nobleman as a mechanic. His grandmother on his mother's side, however...