Language:
Polish
Year of publication:
2020
Titel der Quelle:
Kwartalnik Historii Żydów
Angaben zur Quelle:
273 (2020) 33-47
Keywords:
Maciejowski-Helistan, Stanisław Criticism and interpretation
;
Polish fiction History and criticism
;
Antisemitism in literature
;
Landscapes in literature
;
Antisemitism History 19th century
Abstract:
In popular literature, which has a significant impact on the shape of the “imagined community of the nation”, the landscape, imbued with ideological influences and containing a system of cultural meanings, is one of the factors impacting the perception of the reader. In the case of short stories by Stanisław Maciejowski (Helistan), the ethnic landscape serves the separatist trend aimed at keeping the Poles and the Jews apart in the rural environment. The concept of the landscape creates an artificial community based on cultural and ethnic homogenization, while excluding the aliens, i.e., the Jews. In addition, in his works Maciejowski uses an array of means coming from an anti-Judaic background, comprehensible to the rural audience, due to being consistent with what they hear in the church. He includes in his narrative the anti-Semitic imaginarium, and by making skillful use of the ethnic landscape he paints a picture of the Jews as sacrilegious usurpers, who according to this assumption only serve to consolidate the stratifies county folks. In this way he creates an ideal ethnic image of a community that did not exist in the 19th century realities.
Note:
With an English summary.
URL:
Locate this publication in Israeli libraries
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