To nie jest kraj dla ludzi myślących inaczej
It Is Not a Country for People Who Think Opposite

On the Problem of National Community Consolidation as Based on Bolesław Prus’ “Omyłka” (“The Mistake”)

Summary/Abstract: The article contains an analysis of rules appropriation mechanisms and political discourse principles by national community in the situation of internal and external threat. Such a situation was faced by Polish political opposition after the fall of the November Insurrection, especially that part of it which decided to return to Poland from emigration. „Omyłka (The Mistake)” by Bolesław Prus is a literary account of a similar process, namely consolidation of local community threatened by partitioners’ persecution. A side effect of the consolidation process is radicalisation of attitudes and views’ uniformisation. All of them are voiced spontaneously in a given community, here–the national community expressing patriotic views. Other effect of the consolidation process in that group described by Prus is elimination of internal opposition. It results in exclusion of those who uncritically do not approve of all patterns of thinking and who are often seen as more dangerous than true enemies from the outside. All that makes favourable conditions for expansion of each kind of opportunists who become active. Many a time the opportunists take the initiative to the great detriment of the community’s social and political development.

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