Příbuzenství v pohybu
Kinship in motion

The representation of adoption in contemporary Czech prose

Summary/Abstract: This study aims to analyse the representation of adoption in the novels of contemporary Czech prose writers Tereza Boučková (Rok kohouta, Year of the Rooster, 2007), Viktorie Hanišová (Anežka, 2015) and Dita Táborská (Malinka, 2017) within the context of cultural changes in the perception of kinship. The texts under review are examined from the standpoint of literary anthropology, taking special account of the category of literary representation. This study also reflects the pragmatics of literature, endeavouring to consider any influence of the literary representation of adoption on the creation of a society-wide normative climate for the various forms of socialbehavioural kinship. The basis for this is the finding that Czech literary prose over the last two decades has often sought answers to the issues surrounding the dynamic transformation of kinship and family structures. The old hegemonic model of the heterosexual couple bringing up their biological offspring has been “forced” to give up some of its social and cultural space to newly arising forms of family coexistence. One of the poles of conflict between the high visibility of biologically reproduced kinship and social-behavioural kinship is currently that of adoption. This study attempts to answer the questions over why these prose writers generally paint a negative picture of adoption, and why this subject has for so long been a blank space in Czech literary prose, and not least, whether in this case literature is just another medium that reinforces prejudices against adoption, playing a role in the social stigmatization both of adopted children and adoptive parents.

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