The article discusses the role of Kresy in the life and work of Joseph Conrad. Kresy – Conrad’s homeland – has been a special place for Poles, not least during the Partitions, when it was a refuge for Polishness and safeguard of traditions. The Kresy myth enabled Konrad Korzeniowski to become Joseph Conrad, a British and European writer who encompassed his Polish experiences in his work, transferring it to a universal level. Conrad constantly inspires other artists and they admire something elusive for the Western world, which, in fact, is Polishness in his works.
In my article I present various readings and interpretations of two of Conrad’s protagonists – Lord Jim and Razumov – in order to show that their conduct cannot be properly understood if the reader does not take into account the moral and cultural codes by which Conrad’s characters are bound. Paraphrasing Conrad’s title Under Western Eyes, I discuss the interpretations of Western scholars who have lost or found the real message of Conrad’s works.
Joseph Conrad. Within the Tides (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Joseph Conrad). Edited by Alexandre Fachard with an introduction by Laurence Davies and notes by Andrew Purssell and Alexandre Fachard
This article is an attempt to trace and determine the true relations that existed between Tadeusz Bobrowski and his nephew Joseph Conrad (then known by his Christian name Konrad or the diminutive form Konradek). Conrad’s parents died when he was only eleven years old and from that moment onwards the most important person in his life was his maternal uncle Tadeusz Bobrowski – his guardian, mentor and later his closest friend and confidant. Bobrowski’s role in Conrad’s life cannot be overestimated, for without his financial support Conrad quite simply could not have become a writer. Opinions differ widely, however, as to the extent to which he shaped Conrad’s personality or influenced his character and outlook. Conflicting theories, interpretations and speculations abound. Very often Bobrowski is presented as a cold man who is devoid of sympathy and understanding for his ward. This article argues that – deep down – Tadeusz Bobrowski was in fact and had always been a very emotional man. The shell of indifference in which he shut himself up was merely a shield that allowed him to survive in his social circle. By degrees, however, Bobrowski changed from being the reprimanding, grumpy and censorious guardian into a friend and spiritual guide. There were several reasons for this: Conrad’s increasing maturity, his professional achievements and the two men’s growing mutual attachment – if not mutual idealisation. They shared the same sense of humour, a predilection for sarcasm and a feeling of distance towards the world around them. What is more, a baggage of personal disasters brought them even closer together. They were very much alike. It would seem that only in his letters to Conrad could Bobrowski freely write about family matters and express his opinion about neighbours, knowing that his nephew would not only understand him, but would also appreciate his sarcasm, his sense of humour, his wit and his irony. Bobrowski treated Conrad as if he were his own son and only Conrad knew such an emotional, loving and warm-hearted Bobrowski.
On the example of Apocalypse Now by F. F. Coppola, Heart of Darkness by N. Roeg, The Duellists by R. Scott, The Shadow Line by A. Wajda, and Secret Sharer by P. Fudakowski, I would like to show that Joseph Conrad’s prose is a cinematic trap for film directors. This being so, I attempt to answer the question as to why it is so difficult to make a film of something that is so cinematic, when it is being read, and why film adaptations that closely follow Conrad’s narratives are less Conradian than films which are “merely” inspired by Conrad’s works.
The article presents a portrait of Ewa Korzeniowska; Joseph Conrad’s mother and Tadeusz Bobrowski’s sister. Her life was seriously influenced by Russian autocracy persecuting those Poles who even dared to dream about an independent Poland. Her letters and the recollections of other family members present her as a true Polish mother and wife.
PL
W artykule przedstawiam portret Ewy Korzeniowskiej, matki Josepha Conrada oraz siostry Tadeusza Bobrowskiego, na której życie osobiste (podobnie jak na życie wielu kresowych szlachcianek) przemożny wpływ miała historia. Polityka, jaką Rosja carska stosowała wobec Polaków, którzy ośmielili się marzyć o niepodległości w sposób dramatyczny naznaczyła całe jej życie. Z jej korespondencji oraz przekazu bliskich jej osób wyłania się portret prawdziwej matki Polki oddanej swojej rodzinie i ojczyźnie.
Conrad w sposób nowatorski wykorzystuje kategorię czasu w swych utworach. Stosując takie narzędzia jak opóźnione dekodowanie, retrospekcje, przesunięcia czasowe, a także wprowadzając swoich bohaterów w pętlę czasową lub pozbawioną czasu przestrzeń, pisarz wyprzedzał swoją epokę. W jego dziełach czas przeczy prawom fizyki, pozwalając mu tworzyć idiosynkratyczną czasoprzestrzeń.
EN
Conrad’s fiction manages the temporal dimension in highly innovative ways. Conrad was ahead of his time in employing such devices as delayed decoding, flashbacks, time-shifts, as well as by enveloping his characters in temporal loops or a timeless space. In his works, time defies the laws of physics, allowing him to create an idiosyncratic space-time continuum.