The fate of Poland in the eyes of French writers in the 19th century Cover Image

La Pologne, son destin et sa vocation particulière aux yeux des écrivains français du XIXe siècle
The fate of Poland in the eyes of French writers in the 19th century

Author(s): Wiesław Mateusz Malinowski
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Cultural history, Studies of Literature, Local History / Microhistory, French Literature, 19th Century, Identity of Collectives, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: French literature; Poland; fate; vocation; 19th century

Summary/Abstract: The author of the paper propounds a hollistic outlook on how French writers of the 19th century perceived the fate of Poland in the most dramatic moment of its history, when it was fighting a fierce, and almost hopeless battle for its independence, having disappeared from the map of Europe. In textes of many poets, publicists and men of letters in France one can find a unique set of motifs that not only reveal a highly consistent way of thinking with respect to the situation Poland was in at the time, but also build a parallel vision of its future, and even hold a belief that Poland was to play a special role among European countries. In this paper the author identifies and discusses six such motifs.

  • Issue Year: 2023
  • Issue No: 34
  • Page Range: 207-225
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: French