Bóg kiełbasy i pierogów” – polskie wątki w prozie Louise Erdrich
“God of Sausage and Pierogis.” Polish Themes in the Prose of Louise Erdrich

Summary/Abstract: This article analyses selected stereotypes present in the novels of Louise Erdrich – in the so-called Love Medicine series, The Round House, and LaRose. The author juxtaposes the deconstruction of stereotypes of Native Americans with the deepening of the psychological portraits of Polish Americans, focusing on the topics of history and religion. The most important motifs are the heroes’ dependence on fundamentally understood Catholicism and on Ojibwe shamanism. The article draws attention to the effects of forced Christianization for the Ojibwe people and to the unreflective continuation of Catholicism in the descendants of Polish immigrants, both of which lead to a blurring of identity and to internal conflicts oftentimes externalized through self-destructive actions. The author also draws attention to humorous themes that show how the characters deal with the dilemmas resulting from the conflict of cultures.

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