„Co mam ci życzyć…” Wartości w aktach życzeń Zofii Kossak kierowanych do dzieci i wnuków
„What shall I wish you...” Values in Zofia Kossak’s acts of wishing well addressed to children and grandchildren

Summary/Abstract: Wishes, which create an aura of friendliness and closeness, belong to the basic repertoire of politeforms common to various cultures. These acts are a manifestation of the personality of their sender.By creating the wishes, the sender externalises their inner self, and at the same time, construes a certainimage of the recipient. The sender wishes for a particular good acknowledged in the axiosphere –or more broadly in (socially) entrenched value systems – shared by them and the recipient. The senderof the wishes may shape them stereotypically, in which case they rely on a register of universalvalues (health, happiness, good fortune). Alternatively, the sender may follow a more idiosyncratictrajectory, taking into account the actual needs of the recipient, which they are familiar with asthey know the recipient and have an insight into the universe of their experience. Zofia Kossak’swishes analysed in this article, targeted at immediate family members, are by and large creativetexts. A characteristic feature of her acts of wishing well to her children and grandchildren is theirsaturation with religious values and their association with acts of blessing. In the hierarchy of valuesrecognised and intentionally conveyed by the mother and grandmother, sacred values (“absolutelysacred” and “humanly sacred”) take first place, while spiritual-moral, perfectionist, then life-relatedand other ethical values also rank high. On the other hand, hedonistic and utilitarian values receivea low rank. Kossak’s acts of wishing well unveil her personal profiling of axiological notions(e.g. happiness) as well as their (re)definition she found expedient for her communicative purposes.

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