Dolls, Mirrors, Obituaries. The Motif of Photograph in Polish Prose in 1863–1939 Cover Image

Lalki, lustra, klepsydry. Motyw fotografii w polskiej prozie lat 1863–1939
Dolls, Mirrors, Obituaries. The Motif of Photograph in Polish Prose in 1863–1939

Author(s): Cezary Zalewski
Subject(s): Literary Texts
Published by: Instytut Badań Literackich Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: the motif of photograph; Polish prose in 1863-1939; photography; desire; knowing

Summary/Abstract: The article "Dolls, Mirrors, Obituaries" analyses the motif of photograph in Polish prose in 1863–1939. The author presents three contexts in which the “prop” is found. Most frequently a photograph has an important function in the protagonists’ love affairs who, seeing the photograph, fall in love or become jealous. Perception of photography carries also an amount of data on the world which gradually reduce and ultimately lead to the recourse to the observed subject. The third context is connected with the tanatological experience of the protagonists: a photo of the deceased may console or conversely – strengthen the belief in fragility of every life.

  • Issue Year: 2006
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 107-124
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish