The article discusses paratexts of Polish translations of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which make up large translation series of respectively 14 and 7 texts. The corpus of the article includes almost all Polish translations of the two novels. The analysis has revealed features characteristic of the paratextual framework of the novels. The most striking one is a nonchalant approach to authorial paratexts, especially to its most significant type such as the preface. While the preface is absent from the majority of the editions of Mark Twain’s Przygody Tomka Sawyera (11 out of 18), none of the Polish renderings of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn analyzed includes Twain’s Notice and Explanatory. As for translators’ and editors’ paratexts, they are generally rare and modest; a rich paratextual framework is characteristic of the editions for pupils in the series of „well-prepared reading” (Lektura dobrze opracowana). Most of these paratexts, however, can raise objections due to their quality and pedagogical and didactic usefulness. Summing up, the paratextual framework of the analyzed translations shows that the two novels are in the Polish context addressed almost exclusively to young readers while critical editions are absent. This taps into the reception of Mark Twain in Poland as well as publishing, editorial and marketing practices related to children’s literature, in particular to the obligatory reading from the primary school canon.
Refleksje na temat niewyrażalnego, niewysłowionego. Autor dzieli „niewysłowione” na sekcje: niewypowiedziane – to czego nie da się powiedzieć; nieopisane – to czego nie da się opisać, i te dwie kategorie można zawrzeć w słowie „niewyrażalne”, którego granice nie są takie same dla wszystkich. Istnieje niewyrażalne uniwersalne, które jest poza czasem, ale istnieje też niewysłowione właściwe tylko naszej epoce.
EN
Reflections about the inexpressible and ineffable. The author divides the “ineffable” into sections: the unutterable – something that cannot be said, and the indescribable – something that cannot be described, two categories than can be contained in the word: ”inexpressible”, whose boundaries are not identical for all. There exists a universal “inexpressible”, which remains outside the two categories and time, but there also exists an “inexpressible” characteristic only for our epoch.
Przedmiotem analizy jest miłość romantyczna jako szczególne doświadczenie młodego bohatera literatury okresu romantyzmu. Autorka przeciwstawia się rozpowszechnionemu w badaniach historycznoliterackich ujmowaniu miłości romantycznej jako li tylko literackiej konwencji czy stylizacji albo pozy bohatera romantycznego, a więc jako wymysłu literackiego pozbawionego wartości poznawczych. Wykazuje, że łącząc warsztat badacza literatury z warsztatem psychoanalitycznym można dostrzec w miłości romantycznej wyraz pewnych istotnych, a nawet prekursorskich odkryć psychologicznych. Analizy autorki wykrywają w doświadczeniu miłości romantycznej określone reminiscencje wczesnodziecięcej przeszłości emocjonalnej bohatera związanej z osobą matki, przeszłości, która u każdego człowieka, mimo że zazwyczaj znika z pamięci świadomej, zachowuje się w pamięci nieświadomej i wpływa na całe dalsze życie.
EN
This analysis focuses on Romantic love conceived as a particular experience of the young protagonist in literature from the era of Romanticism. The author opposes the interpretation of Romantic love – widely disseminated in studies on the history of literature – as a mere literary convention, stylisation or pose of the Romantic protagonist, i.e. a literary concept devoid of cognitive values. In doing so she demonstrates that while combining the workshop of the researcher dealing with literature and the psychoanalytical workshop it is possible to perceive Romantic love as an expression of certain essential and even precursory psychological discoveries. The author’s analyses discover in experiencing Romantic love distinct reminiscences of the protagonist’s emotional past going back to early childhood and connected with the mother figure; this is a past that in the case of each person is retained in unconscious memory and impacts a whole life despite the fact that it usually vanishes from conscious memory.
The aim of my paper is to analyse the cognitive and ethical aspects of selected literary and film depictions of disabilities. Based on theoretical and methodological assumptions of sociology of literature and critical discourse analysis, I set out to demonstrate how selected literary and film works depict situations and problems related to social inclusion of people with disabilities. I focus on two questions: 1) How do artistic creations build able people’s knowledge of the social situation and position of people with disabilities? 2) What ethical problems can such depictions involve?
PL
The aim of my paper is to analyze cognitive and ethical aspects of selected literary and film depictions of disabilities. Based on theoretical and methodological assumptions of sociology of literature and critical discourse analysis I set out to demonstrate how selected literary and film works depict situations and problems with social inclusion of people with disabilities. I concentrate on two questions: 1) How do artistic creations build non-disabled people's knowledge of the social situation and position of people with disabilities? 2) What ethical problems can such depictions involve?
The aim of the article is to introduce Edinburgh as a“city of literature”. Special attention was paid to the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The author analyses selected aspects of the famous book celebrations, highlighting their innovation and impact on the surrounding reality.
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that the experience of a literary narrative qua literary narrative is an experience of narrative thickness, that is, an experience in which narrative form and narrative content are inseparable. I explain my thesis of poetic thickness in § 1, showing why it does not admit of extension from poetry to literary narratives. §§ 2–3 synthesize the work of Derek Attridge and Peter Lamarque, advancing narrative thickness as a necessary condition of literary narratives. I propose a work of didactic literature – J. M. Coetzee’s ‘The Lives of Animals’ – as a paradigmatic counterexample to narrative thickness in § 4. I show, in § 5, that narrative thickness holds for this work in particular and didactic works which are literary in general, concluding that narrative thickness is indeed a necessary condition of literary narratives.
Grazia Deledda’s strategies of female characters’ construction and agency are at the core of this essay. The goal is to investigate how the Nobel prize winner shapes the identity as the actions of her female characters in a decidedly eccentric manner if compared to contemporary Italian narrative. The path of the essay is chiefly chronological as it starts from her first short stories (1888), published in the context of widely circulated periodicals, to ends with Cosima, the autobiographical novel published in 1936, the year of Deledda’s death. A typology of her characters emerges in relation both to the cultural assumptions that strongly influence the first production of Deledda as well as to the heterogeneous literary models with which the writer weaves a dense and uninterrupted dialogue.
The article is an attempt to present the divisions in Gabriela Zapolska’s Sezonowa miłość [Seasonal Love] focusing on two areas: the world presented and references to reality. The world presented is divided into space (opposition between city, nature and culture) and the protagonists. References to reality focus on the topography of both Zakopane and the Tatras.
Old age as aconstant, necessary attribute of life has been apoint of interest of the writers since the latest times. Its presence in the culture distinguish various intensity, and its perception oscillates anywhere from negation and disdain to elation and affirmation; nevertheless it always proves that literature pays attention to various stages of getting old. Following Bulgarian national renaissance in the first part of 19th century, in aBulgarian society took place broad, revolutionary generation change — programme of which could be found in the literary texts. Typical image of an old mother — personification of Bulgaria — simple women abandoned by her dear ones, anguished by malicious enemies yet unwavering and defending tradition becomes asymbol of the changes needed in the society.
BG
Старостта като неотменна и задължителна част от живота още в най-далечни времена се превръща в тема на множество литературни текстове. Тя присъства в културата с различен интензитет, а начинът, по който се оценява този последен етап от човешката екзистенция прилича на синусоида, променяща се с течение на времето от отрицание и презрение до възхита и утвърждаване. Едновременно с това присъствието на тази тематика доказва, че литературата проявява постоянен интерес към различните етапи на остаряването. Българското Възраждане от първата половина на XIX век става двигател на широка, революционна смяна на поколенията в българското общество, чиято програма е отразена в множество литературни текстове. Характерният образ на старата майка — персонификация на България — обикнове на жена, изоставена от най-близките си, подтискана от жестоки врагове, но непобедима и защитаваща своята традиция — се превръща също така в символ на необходимите и неотложни обществени промени.
In the article the relationship of Borges’ poetics and theology is analysed. To this end, the authors selected three stories which address a large timeline ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. To address them properly, the necessary references to the historical context are made. Fundamentally, this analysis shows that to Jorge Luis Borges God transcends any system.
Postcolonial studies implies negation of western canon, hegemony of the white man and his Europe. Several plays and one novel written by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy) are full of exotic colonial literary motives. Postcolonial studies seems to fulfill his catastrophism as the end of western cultural heritage.
This text is an attempt to looking at the status of artists’ books — interesting phenomenon, which blends worlds of book and art. It includes the opinions of art critics, bibliophiles, publishers, creators of literature and artists. History of the artists’ books and external conditions, which have an influence on its birth were briefly outlined. Image of this phenomenon turns out indeterminate and internally contradictory. Theories, typologies, attempts to define or even fix the right term are often mutually exclusive. This situation raises questions about their legitimacy. Maybe we should accept the fact that certain indeterminacy and impossibility to enclose in rigid frames is an inherent feature of artists’ books because otherwise they would lose their diverse and open character.
The New Russian appeared in the former USSR just after 1991 when the communistic rules collapsed. Firstly, he was considered as a very rich man who obtained his fortune in an illegal way and employed murderers and bodyguards in order to look after his property. Modern Russian writers say that the New Russians have big mentions, the newest models of cars, expensive clothes and cosmetics. They spend their holidays in France, India and Africa and often kill these people who are richer and have more money, that is why their life is not safe., they chase money and take part in the rat race. Now, both in literature and film, the image of the New Russian changed. Authors show him as a well‑educated person who is interested in culture, charity and elegant style of life. New Russians know foreign languages and would like to establish contact with other businessmen. Not only do these people think about their business but they take care of their families as well. They have made great progress as far as their work and behavior are concerned. Unfortunately, they cannot still safe in their own country.
The oeuvre of Jonas Biliūnas (1879–1907) marks the birth of Lithuanian lyrical psychological prose, which was influenced by the modernist ideas of relativism. His works brought into the Lithuanian canon of realist story the motifs of transitoriness of human existence, fragility of life, sadness. Biliūnas was the first Lithuanian writer who was professionally prepared for his trade. He studied literature and related disciplines at universities in Switzerland, which gradually became a centre of Lithuanian intelligentsia already in the 19th century. The short stories written at that time indicated the writer’s maturing talent. The Alps played asignificant role in Biliūnas’ life; this is where in 1904–1907 he wrote his best works, three of which are thematically associated with the mountains: the literary sketch Fine Weather on the Uetliberg (Ant Uetlibergo giedra!), the short story Snowstorm in the Mountains (Pūga kalnuose) and the allegorical tale The Beacon of Happiness (Laimės žiburys) — one of the most important works written in Zurich. A serious illness prevented the writer from fully developing his talent. On 8 December 1907 he died at the age of 28 in his wife’s arms in asanatorium in Zakopane. He was buried in Pęksowy Brzysk. Thanks to the efforts of the Lithuanian writer Antanas Vienuolis Biliūnas’ remains were brought back to Lithuania, where he was laid to rest on ahill in Liudiškiai, near Anykščiai. In 1958 a monument called “Beacon of happiness” was erected on Biliūnas’ grave. The hill with the monument became asymbol the meaning of which is expressed in the tale The Beacon of Happiness. Today some people climb the hill to honour the writer’s memory, while others — believing in its sacred nature — hope that it will bring them happiness.
The subject of the city is discussed by researchers in various fields. The following article considers the influence of literature on urban space. The author attempts to catalogue multiple aspects of the presence of literature in a city. This is illustrated by the examples from Warsaw and also other Polish cities. The final part contains the results of a survey which could contribute to further studies of cultural elements in urban space.
Michał Głowiński, who has been so far perceived primarily as a distinguished literary critic, well known for his analysis of the communist newspeak, is also the author of autobiographical narratives. The article analyzes certain aspects of Głowiński’s writing, such as the characters, time, space, fragmentariness, contexts and language. After almost sixty years of silence, in his texts Głowiński uncovers the layers of memory which come from “the epoch of gas chambers”. He does it in order to face the trauma of the Holocaust.
First of all, the study differentiates between the concepts of “modernism” and “progress”, emphasizing that modernism is always linked to disruption of existing values and discovery of “low realness of reality” (Lyotard), while progress is based on the idea of a continuing upward process. Th e Czech Modernism in 1880’s and early 1890’s crystallized in heated polemic clashes that passed from science into politics. Literary works set the ideological sphere in motion, the art turbulently reflected political events, the science destructed national mythology, which had been so far perceived as constitutive for the whole national community. Literature and criticism experienced a radical turning point, which was obvious for instance in the shift toward the image of an individual losing identity and being exposed to destructive pressure of society. The Czech Modernism Manifest of October 1895 marks the end of mutual influence of oppositional forces. The extensive proclamation attempted to summarize the up-to-date literary, social and political debate and accentuated the social progress of different forces. The study explores individual streams that mingled in the proclamation: the Masaryk-type criticism (realism), cultural and social attempts of progressive movement and position of young literary critics. The common platform emerged from weaknesses of individual streams but as soon as some relative point of consolidation of the Czech society was reached, the specific features of various spheres came forth.
The second half of the 19th and the early 20th century were marked by extremely significant changes in mountaineering, tourism and literature, changes which can be described metaphorically as the vanguard of 20th-century modernity. Of great importance to the development of both mountaineering and mountain tourism was the creation of associations bringing together tourists and mountaineers, mountain lovers. The associations focused mainly on promoting mountain tourism, making the mountains more accessible (building paths, trails, hostels) and trying to protect the mountains against the effects of human impact and other civilisational processes — economic, social and technological. The increasingly evident division into mountaineering (exploring the mountains by climbing them) and tourism, and the spread of this tourism in all mountain ranges in Europe made mountaineering aspecialised form of communing with the mountains, requiring special qualifications and equipment. At the same mountain tourism became amulti-layered phenomenon, as it encompassed, in addition to the “classic” tourism “with backpacks”, resort tourism involving walks, atype of tourism playing an important role in socialising and styles of behaviour, completely different from the models characteristic of tourism in the first half of the 19th century. This led to the emergence of characteristic styles of this tourism, which was becoming an important element of bourgeois popular culture, aprocess that immediately resonated in literature. In the second half of the 19th and the first decade of the 20th century the substantial growth in the number of tourists arriving in mountain villages led to their rapid civilisational and economic development. However, the concept of building mountain railways that were to bring people closer to the most precious asset of the mountains — their intact primeval nature — was asimple extension of the sedentary lifestyle. The development of mountaineering consisted in traversing increasingly difficult routes. This involved not just the ordinary climbing of peaks, but traversing mountain walls. In 1880 and 1881, Albert Frederick Mummery, climbing Grands Charmoz (3,455 m) and Grépon (3,482 m), became the first man to traverse extremely difficult routes (Grade 5 in the Welzenbach scale). In 1884 Walter Parry Haskett Smith decided to traverse agrade 3 (difficult) route on his own and two years later he climbed the twenty-metre Lapes Needle in the Lake District, England, which gave rise to competitive climbing, adiscipline distinct from mountaineering. Mountaineers also produced literary works (Eugčne Rambert). The so-called “Alpine literature” (“la littérature alpestre”) encompassed, as its unique variety, par excellence Alpine literature providing an image of the mountains from the point of view of mountaineering and way of approaching mountaineering. Its leading exponents were Edward Whymper and Leslie Stephen; Albert Frederic Mummery (1855–1895) won considerable renown as the author of My climbs in the Alps and Caucasus (1895) as did Henry Russel-Killough (1834–1909) regarded as excellent writer and aman who made a great contribution to the exploration of the Pyrenees (Souvenirs d’un Montagnard, 1908). On the other hand, the ideological motivation of Polish mountaineering echoed with the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Schopenhauer and Henri Bergson, introducing the subject of mountain climbing into highbrow literature.
Stanisław Vincenz’s monumental work Na wysokiej połoninie [On the High Mountain Pastures] can be analysed in the context of civilisational transformations that took place at the turn of the 20th century in highland regions. Carpathian highlanders, including the Hutsuls, for centuries had cultivated traditions going way back in time, to the Hellenic herding culture (values like subordination to the laws of nature and God, freedom, highland time, autumn knowledge, dialogue, unique understanding of space). The development of capitalism and influence of urban culture brought with them a possibility of coming into contact on a large scale with a worldview representing a different way of looking at issues fundamental to the individuals and entire community. Thus Vincenz’ tetralogy is set at the frontier of epochs, cultures and mentalities (views of the world, impressions of the world). The present article aims at interpreting Vincenz’ work in the context of a category that is extremely popular in the humanities, namely frontier or borderland as well as Kenneth White’s category of geopoetics, which is attracting more and more “followers”.
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