Między strażnikiem a kloszardem. O 'Gołębiu' Patricka Süskinda
Between the Guard and the Tramp. Patrick Süskind’s 'The Pigeon'

Summary/Abstract: Patrick Süskind’s grotesque novel The Pigeon is read by Ms. Jokiel as a brilliant parable on the existential condition of today’s human being who is enslaved by civilisation and culture-related oppressions whilst longing for freedom. Jonathan Noel, an employee at a Paris bank, experiences an inner transformation at a decisive moment in his life. Having found himself in a symbolic space between a guard and a tramp, he frees himself from his childhood-time trauma and regains his own identity. Similarly as other characters from Süskind’s works, Noel is alienated and lonely, and, in search for the truth about himself, he repeats the gesture of mythical wanderers who – from the Odyssey through the Heart of Darkness to Ulysses – made their symbolic journeys of self-cognition.

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