Kolory Afryki w powieści Henryka Sienkiewicza W pustyni i w puszczy. Część I: świat przyrody

The object of studies presented in the article are the designations of colours documented in the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz entitled In Desert and Wilderness. Against all appearances, it is not the issue treated only marginally by the writer, which may be a little surprising if we take into account the character of the book (an adventure novel for youth, focused basically on the lively, attracting attention plot and not on extensive author’s narration). The author of the article distinguishes more than a dozen of groups of realities especially often characterised from the point of view of their colours.Primarily, these are the descriptions concerning the world of African flora and fauna – exotic for the Polish reader. As it results from the conducted studies, the attention of Sienkiewicz is mainly drawn to the colours of animals, especially birds. It is likely that the writer’s  predilection for hunting played here a decisive role. African flora is basically presented in the form of colourful spots against the background of greenery, and not by detailed descriptions of the appearance of individual representatives of a given species. Additionally, the writer’s interest is aroused by changes of colours of the sky and the whole surrounding world depending on the time of day, atmospheric conditions, light intensity (mainly sunrises and sunsets)

People kill animals not only for saving lives but for soup and roast – Killing animals in Henryk Sienkiewicz’s works

W pisarstwie Henryka Sienkiewicza motywika animalna przejawia się w kilku odsłonach. Mapa występowania i typologia zwierząt wynikają z uwarunkowań topograficznych i służą przyjętej zasadzie realizmu jako sposobowi oglądu i opisu rzeczywistości. Ze szczególnym upodobaniem eksponuje pisarz pojedynki człowieka ze zwierzęciem, który stanowi dla niego zagrożenie (bykiem, niedźwiedziem, lwem), ale również podejmuje temat cierpienia zwierząt „stowarzyszonych”, zwłaszcza konających na oczach czytelnika. Mimo fokalizacji męskiej (perspektywa myśliwego) i raczej miernie wykorzystanej formuły per analogiam ad humanum, jest jednak w dziełach autora Trylogii doza „wyobraźni współczującej” (Coetzee).In Henryk Sienkiewicz’s literary works motifs of animals appears in some displays. The map and typology of animals arise from topography and serve principle of realism as a way of describing reality. The writer exposes “duels” between animals and a human being. The animals (bull, bear, lion) are treated as a threat to human beings, but Sienkiewicz is also sensitive to their suffering and death. Apart from hunter’s perspective and weakly used formula per analogiam ad humanum in Sienkiewicz’s works considerable dose of “imagination of sympathy” according to J.M. Coetzee’s idea is visible

Kolory Afryki w powieści Henryka Sienkiewicza W pustyni i w puszczy. Część II: ludzie i ich wytwory

The object of studies presented in the article are the designations of colours documented in the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz entitled In Desert and Wilderness. Against all appearances, it is not the issue treated only marginally by the writer, which may be a little surprising if we take into account the character of the book (an adventure novel for youth, focused basically on the lively, attracting attention plot and not on extensive author’s narration). The author of the article distinguishes more than a dozen of groups of realities especially often characterised from the point of view of their colours.Primarily, these are the descriptions concerning the world of African flora and fauna – exotic for the Polish reader. As it results from the conducted studies, the attention of Sienkiewicz is mainly drawn to the colours of animals, especially birds. It is likely that the writer’s predilection for hunting played here a decisive role. African flora is basically presented in the form of colourful spots against the background of greenery, and not by detailed descriptions of the appearance of individual representatives of a given species.Additionally, the writer’s interest is aroused by changes of colours of the sky and the whole surrounding world depending on the time of day, atmospheric conditions, light intensity (mainly sunrises and sunsets).In the descriptions of people, the narrator pays attention to the differences in the skin colour of the Europeans, Blacks and Arabs. Sienkiewicz devoted less attention to the colours of clothes or ornaments worn by African residents.The lexis used in the novel, belonging to the field of colours, although semantic­ally quite rich and formally varied, is not very original. There dominate here typical adjectival designations used in their basic meanings, instead of inventive comparisons or metaphors, e.g., biały (white), czarny (black), czerwony (red), zielony (green), żółty (yellow), niebieski (blue), różowy (pink), szary (grey), srebrny (silver), złoty (gold).In the studied novel, the field of red has been documented with most examples (e.g., czerwonoskóry (red-skinned), czerwony (red), koralowy (coral), krwawy (bloody), ognisty (fiery), purpurowy (purple), wiśniowy (cherry), zaczerwieniony (reddened); czerwono (red), pąsowo (bright red), wiśniowo (cherry); purpura (purple), rubin (ruby); czerwienić się (to become red), zaczerwienić się (to redden)), and further on: the field of white (for example: białawy (whitish), biały (white), pobladły (pale), śnieżny (snowy), wybielony (whitened), zbielały (bleached); biało (white); pobielenie (whitening); blednąć (to become pale), bielić się (to grow white), pobieleć (to become white), poblednąć (to grow pale), wybieleć (to grow white), zabielić się (to paint white), zblednąć (to turn pale)), the field of blue (for example: błękitnawy (bluish), błękitny (azure), granatowy (navy blue), jasnoniebieski (light blue), niebieski (blue), sinawy (glaucous), siny (livid), siwobłękitny (grey blue); błękitno (blue); błękit (azure); sinieć (to become livid)), the field of green (for example: ciemnozielony (dark green), jasnozielony (bright green), koloru morskiej wody (the colour of sea-water), szarozielony (grey-green), zielonawy (greenish), zielony (green); zielonawo (greeny), zielono (green); zieloność (greenness)), and also the field of black (for example: barwy węgla (the colour of coal), czarny (black), poczerniały (blackened), sczerniały (turned black); czarno (black); czernieć (to grow black), czernić się (to go black), sczernieć (to grow black)), the field of grey (for example: płowoszary (tan-grey), popielaty (ash-coloured), stalowy (steel-like), szary (grey), szyfrowy (slate), zielonoszary (green-grey); poszarzeć (to become grey)), the field of brown (for example: brunatny (tawny), kasztanowy (auburn), opalony (suntanned), rudy (ginger), smagły; opalać się (to bronze), opalić się (to get a suntan)), the field of yellow (for example: cynamonowy (cinnamon), płowożółty (buff-yellow), płowy (buff), woskowy (wax), żółty (yellow)), the field of silver (for example: srebrny (silver), srebrzysty (silvery); srebrno (silver); posrebrzeć (to silver-plate), rozsrebrzyć (to become silvery)), the field of pink (for example: różany, różowy; różowo; różowieć), the field of gold (for example: złoty (golden); złoto (gold); złocić się (to show golden)) and the field of violet (for example: lila (lilac), liliowy (lilac); ametyst (amethyst)). In the field of varied colours we can find, among others, such designations as: pręgowany (striped), pstry (spotted), siedmiobarwny (seven-coloured), różnobarwny (many-coloured), różnokolorowy (colourfull), drgać odblaskami pawich piór (tremble with reflections of peacock feathers), mienić się jak opale (to shimmer like opals), mienić się jak tęcza (to shimmer like a rainbow), mienić się i grać wszelkimi barwami jak wielkie kwiaty (to glitter and play with all colours like huge flowers), przybrać barwę muszli perłowej (to assume the colour of a pearl conch). Among the general descriptions of colours we can enumerate the adjective kolorowy (colourful) and the expression jaskrawo upierzony (brightly feathered), which can signify both mono-, as well as multi- colours of the realities being described.In the studied novel, there are quite numerous examples of words from the field signalling different intensity of light, from full brightness to absolute darkness, for instance: blady (pale), blado (pale), blask (radiance), blednąć (to grow pale), jasny (bright), rozjaśnić (to light up), światło (light), ciemny (dark), ciemno (dark), ciemność/ciemność tak gęsta, że prawie namacalna (darkness/darkness so thick as almost touchable), ćma (moth), mrok (dimness), pociemnieć (to make dark), ściemnić się (to become dark).Two adjectives designating colours manifest the greatest frequency, i.e., biały (white) (106 occurrences in the text) and czarny (black) (58 occurrences), and subsequently – according to the frequency of use – the adjectives: czerwony – red (24), różowy – pink (16), zielony – green (13), żółty – yellow (10), płowy – buff (9), szary – grey (9), srebrny – silver (7), niebieski – blue (6), złoty – gold (6), białawy – whitish (5), błękitny – blue (5), purpurowy – purple (5), popielaty – ash-coloured (4).Additionally, attention should be brought to the designations of colours in less ­typical forms, e.g., comparisons, metonymy, metaphor. Among the comparative expressions we can find the designations frequently used in Polish, such as: biały jak kreda/mleko/papier/śnieg (as white as chalk/milk/paper/snow), czarny jak aksamit/kir/noc (as black as velvet/pall/night ), czarno jak w piwnicy (as black as in the cellar), czerwony jak krew (as red as blood), szary jak mysz (as grey as a mouse). Among the designations of colours which are less typical than the ones mentioned above there are collocations such as: drgać odblaskami pawich piór (tremble with reflections of peacock feathers), mieć barwę czystego ametystu (to have the colour of pure amethist), przybrać barwę muszli perłowej (to assume the colour of a pearl conch), mienić się jak opale (to shimmer like opals), mienić się jak tęcza (to shimmer like a rainbow).There is definitely more information about the colours of the world depicted in the studied novel by Sienkiewicz than in The Trilogy written by the same author, especially when we take into account the differences in length of the analysed writings. In the novel In Desert and Wilderness there dominate the descriptions of colours of nature—which is exotic for Polish readers—rather than people, which results, among others, in greater frequency of designations from the colour field ascribed to African flora (green and pink) if we compare it with The Trilogy

Kali or Nabu? What kind of literature and what type of teacher will teach understanding the other human being?

Współczesna literatura dla dzieci i młodzieży zdecydowanie wypełnia swoją humanistyczną misję uczenia szacunku wobec Innego i zrozumienia meandrów związanych z powszechną dziś migracją i dylematami wielokulturowości. Jednak w Podstawie programowej nie ma miejsca na tę literaturę, co więcej, umocniła się klasyka, wobec której wciąż trwają spory, czy nie utrwala groźnych stereotypów narodowych. Kluczowe pytanie dla polskich badaczy brzmi: czy prace Henryka Sienkiewicza powinny być nadal czytane w szkołach, zwłaszcza w okresie narastania retoryki nacjonalistycznej? Głównym wyzwaniem dla nauczycieli literatury jest: jak rozmawiać w klasie na temat arcydzieł niepoprawnych politycznie? Próbując odpowiedzieć na te pytania, przedstawiam efekty badań własnych, dotyczących wpływu wybranej lektury literatury dziecięcej na zmianę w podejściu studentów do klasyki literackiej. Różnice w scenariuszach z powieści Sienkiewicza, pisanych przez przyszłych nauczycieli przed lekturą opowieści Jarosława Mikołajewskiego o małym imigrancie oraz tworzonych po takiej lekturze, przynoszą pewne rozwiązania dydaktyczne.The contemporary literature for children and adolescents definitely ful-fills its humanistic mission of teaching respect for the Other and understanding the meanders associated with the widespread migration and dilemmas of multiculturalism. Unfortunately the list of old literary works to be read obligatory by students gives no place for Polish teachers to choose all kinds of literature, from many cultures. Furthermore, the new school reading canon underlines the role of books that perpetuate harmful stereo-types. So the crucial question for the Polish researchers is: Should the works of Henryk Sienkiewicz be still read in schools, especially during the rise of nationalist rhetoric? The main challenge for the literature teachers is: How to talk in the classroom about politically incorrect masterpieces? Trying to answer these questions I am presenting the results of my own research on the impact of selected reading of children’s literature on the change in the students’ approach to literary classics. The differences in the scripts from Sienkiewicz’s novel, written by future teachers before reading the story of Jarosław Mikołajewski about a small immigrant and created after such a reading, bring some didac-tic solutions

Paradoxes of humanistic education

Tekst wskazuje na zależność myślenia o edukacji humanistycznej od znaczeń nadawanych pojęciom humanizm, humanitaryzm, humanistyka. Akcentuje przy tym absurdy charakteryzujące polską szkołę współczesną. Konkluzja obejmuje jeden zasadniczy wniosek i jeden równie zasadniczy postulat: (1) kultywowanie dziewiętnastowiecznej z ducha edukacyjnej tradycji w zderzeniu z cywilizacyjno-kulturowym kontekstem współczesności prowadzi do intelektualnej katastrofy na pokolenia w przód, (2) o naprawie sytuacji nie ma mowy bez gruntownego przepracowania idei szkoły i de facto wymyślenia jej na nowo.The text clearly indicates that thinking about humanistic education largely depends on the meanings given to such terms as humanism, humanitarianism, humanities  and the paradoxes which may arise if these terms are confused. At the same time, it emphasizes the absurdity of the contemporary Polish school. The conclusion includes one essential inference and one equally essential postulate: (1) cultivating the nineteenth century spirit of educational tradition, which collides with the modern civilization and cultural context leads to an intellectual catastrophe for generations to come, (2) The situation cannot possibly be rectified unless some fundamental changes are made to the present school concept, in fact, unless it is re-imagined or reinvented

Pożegnanie Murzynka Bambo

The article is devoted to the image of the inhabitants of the African continent, as fixed in the Polish literature for children and young people. The flegship text here is the poem Bambo by Julian Tuwim, which has been reprinted for many years in the most popular Polish ABC-book by Marian Falski. Antagonisms and stereotypes (language, too), contained in the poem, are reproduced and maintained in the next texts addressed to the pupils of Polish schools. Meanwhile on the Polish book market appear publications whereby the Africa’s image is not only true, but also contemporary

Colonising Poland’s Historiography. Concerning Lenny A. Ureña Valerio’s Breakthrough Study

The present article assesses Prof. Lenny A. Ureña Valerio scholarly debut in a broader context of the present literature in the post-colonial field. The reviewer pays attention to the breakthrough nature of the analysed book which is one of the first to indicate the fact that the German imperial expansion into the Polish lands in 1840–1920 was closely related to the German colonial enterprise in Africa.Niniejszy artykuł ocenia naukowy debiut prof. Lenny A. Ureña Valerio w szerszym kontekście istniejącej literatury z obszaru studiów postkolonialnych. Recenzent zwraca uwagę na przełomowy w swoim zakresie charakter omawianej książki, która jako jedna z pierwszych wskazuje na fakt, iż niemiecka ekspansja imperialna na ziemiach polskich w latach 1840–1920 była ściśle powiązana z działaniami Rzeszy w Afryce

Henryk Sienkiewicz a świat arabski

(...)"Sienkiewiczowski obraz świata arabskiego naznaczony jest zastanawiającą sprzecznością. Z jednej strony w licznych listach i notatkach pisarz daje świadectwo fascynacji egzotyczną krainą (jest to szczególnie widoczne w zapiskach dotyczących wyprawy do Konstantynopola), z drugiej - nie potrafi ukryć rozczarowania kulturą, która tak dalece odbiega od jego wyobrażeń (świadczą o tym przede wszystkim komentarze w „Listach z Afryki”)."(...

Tajemnicze ogrody : rozprawy i szkice z literatury dla dzieci i młodzieży

The present book is devoted to certain signs and symbols that help to create the national myth in the literaturę far children and young people. The first part contains legends and fairy tales conceming the heginnings of the Polish State, Polish mountains, Silesia, and tales with a clearly regional bent, such as Kłopoty Kacperka góreckiego skrzata ('The Troubles of Kacperek, a mountain imp) by Zofia Kossak. These texts are addressed to the youngest reader. The second part deals with books for older children, which are often texts of high artistic value conceming, for example, the mythology of the Polish manor house, the loss of a horae in the Eastem borderland, or the model of heroic patriotism. In that chapter, the favourite genres of children’s literaturę have been pointed out to. The third part is devoted to the following four classical books for young people: Henryk Sienkiewicz ’ s W pustyni i w puszczy {In Woodland and Wasteland), Kazimierz Gołba’s Wieża spadochronowa {The Parachute Tower), and Aleksander KamMski’s Kamienie na szaniec {Stones Thrown on the Earth-work). On the basis of these wotks, an analysis of various kinds of heroism has been canied out, as well as a study of the uncommon fate of the books that made part of our country’s history. Throughout the present studies, various garden images are used as a leitmotif: the garden as a metaphor of our country, as a metaphor of the immediate environmait of one’s ćbildhood, as a symbol of forests, parks, and of the road to one’s „last guard”