Poetyka miasteczka
Poetics of a Small Town

Summary/Abstract: In her monograph Agnes Klára Papp analysed Hungarian prose from the last century by resorting to the methods of geopoetics and placing strong emphasis on the theme of the province. Hungarian classics created a sui generis anti-myth of a small town conceived as the reverse of the experiences of the modern subject. The extraordinary character of the small town created by Schulz could be captured by confronting this world with realistic depictions. Apparently, Schulz’s Drohobycz is not at all provincial and in certain respects even resembles to the eternal city described by Yuri Lotman. The protagonists are already prepared for the coming of the Messiah and almost welcome Him. Moreover, the centre of the town comprises a certain “metaphysical junction”, with the lower world joining the upper one. This Drohobycz crosses the boundaries of provincial existence not solely in an esoteric fashion. By way of example, images of modernisation and changes of manners and morals in Ulica Krokodyli (Street of Crocodiles) still provide material for sociological interpretation.

• Details
• Contents