Co nawiedza Mieczysława Wojnicza? Materialne ślady widm w Empuzjonie Olgi Tokarczuk
What Haunts Mieczysław Wojnicz? ‘Material’ Traces of Spectres in Empuzjon by Olga Tokarczuk

Summary/Abstract: This paper analyzes Olga Tokarczuk’s novel Empuzjon. The text draws on the methodological assumptions of Jacques Derrida’s hauntology and the concept of the trace, focusing on what lies at the border of materiality. Both traces and spectres, appearing ephemeral or difficult to grasp, are characterized by a specifically understood agency, which constitutes an important aspect of the philosophy of new materialism. Their presence influences the space of Görbersdorf, shapes Mieczysław Wojnicz’s identity, and simultaneously disrupts the linear temporal order. This enables tracing different tensions between past and present at the level of historical events as well as the protagonist’s personal experiences. By reflecting on issues such as gender identity, ‘repressed femininity, collective and individual memory, and justice for women, the article problematizes the role of materiality and its limits in the represented world.

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