Prusowski tryptyk ontologiczny („Cienie” – „Sen” – „Nic nie ginie!”)
Prus’ Ontological Triptych. (Shadows – The Dream – Nothing vanishes!)

Summary/Abstract: The topic of the essay focuses on ontological issues which, with some regularity, appear in Boleslaw Prus’ prose. Short epic forms (Shadows [Cienie], 1885; The Dream [Sen], 1890; Nothing vanishes! [Nic nie ginie!], 1898), which come from three different artistic periods, are treated in the essay as illuminating each other and interpreted as a part of a peculiar (because unintended) series. A comparative analysis of different types of writings reveals many common themes (visible in very similar motifs, threads, the creation of situations and the main characters, or the metaphysical reflection), but it also tends to show a very clear evolution in Prus’ thought about the fundamental ontological issues such as: the essence of earthly existence, the origin of the human being, the mystery, the composition of the universe, the role of the cosmic Demiurge, the problem of the afterlife, the vision of the beyond.

• Details
• Contents