TAJOVSKY'S CHOICE OF DESTINY

• Authors: Mikulova M.
• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

There are only several short stories in the work of Tajovsky with the themes of city life. In spite of the fact he knew city life very well; he seems more impressive in village themes. In his early prose 'Mládenci' (The Young Guys, 1902) about a stag café company and some banal themes he proved indirectly that writing is not a source of pleasure and fun for him but it is an analysis of important social content and also that his leaving the city themes was just an expression of his aesthetic preferences. The best known text 'Maco Mliec' (1903) is a short story, in which in the beginning of his carrier as a writer he demonstrates his philosophy - to present an ordinary life as an extraordinary, exceptional. Tajovsky builds the short story as a provocative alternative to 'paper' Vajansky like 'ideal' heroes, in which a main character is an ugly person, unacceptable and dishonoured by all people, a servant of the village. His name is Maco. The author predicts also all possible problems with acceptance of him and that is expressed by a narrator who represents 'public opinion'. He does not understand Maco's unwillingness to change his destiny. Contrary to the author himself he does not consider Maco to be a valuable and unique human being. 'Ironic gap', which comes from the contradiction between the opposite opinions of the author and narrator, is very clear in the crucial issue - who is guilty of Maco's destiny (a farmer or he himself). The question represents discrepancy between realistic - verifiable depiction of the world and alternative modern relativism. The short story 'Maco Mliec' is inwardly semantically 'balanced' in its expression. It reflects inner uncertainty of the subject of the author, which leads to making a multilevel structure of the text. Through an antinomy of loneliness of individuality within the collective and his inner distance from people of different value priorities the author anticipates a dominant theme of the lyrical prose and naturism.

Keywords

EN

'IDEAL HERO'; MODERNISM; NARRATOR; NATURALISM; REALISM; SHORT PROSE

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS

• Publisher: Institute of Slovak Literature, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Slovenská literatúra (Slovak Literature)
• Year: 2005
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 161-175
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Mikulova M.

• M. Mikulova, Ustav slovenskej literatury SAV, Konventna 13, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

06SKAAAA00721792