The subject of interest of the author of the article is scent as a category present in Leśmian’s writings, in his essays, poetry and prose. Olfactory cognition, based on a primary, pre-language form of communication, undermines the status of speech not freed from tight bonds of logic and grammar, seems akin to Leśmian’s “song without words”. It also encourages attempts at restitution of an archaic worldview.
In my essay The Monster that therefore I am I attempt to sketch the ethical and etymological roots of a Polish monster. The literary context of Adam Mickiewicz’s Dziady and Bolesław Leśmian’s Dusiołek is of particular importance. On the basis of these texts it is possible to sketch a model of the Polish monster, who fundamentally differs from its Western counterpart due to its specifically ethical function. The title of the article is a travesty of the title of Jacques Derrida’s text The Animal that Therefore I am and refers to the French philosopher’s reflection upon the otherness/difference.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.