The article is devoted to the education of younger generation on the basis of national and universal human values. It is also reflects the need to study the philosophical categories of “national” and “universal” in the modern literary criticism. The paper argues that the study of this problem helps to identify patterns of development of both national and world culture, contributes to understanding of the historical development of peoples and to the realization of the national mentality, promotes the formation of the complete personality with knowledge of moral values of the ethnos, its esthetics and philosophy. In this regard the works in various genres by S. G. Chavain, the classicist of the Mari literature, concerning the Pre-Revolutionary period are analyzed. The study examines the manifestations of national identity in outlook, in the life views, in the character, in the feelings of the characters, in the means for reality depiction, as well as the author’s universal principles in a specified period are disclosed. Development and enrichment of the national character, reflected in the works by S. G. Chavain, are illustrated in close interaction with universal human aspects. On the basis of literary texts of the founder of the Mari literature, the study argues that literature along with pedagogy is the best source of disclosure of ethnic and universal human values to the younger generation, necessary for harmonious development of personality.