Pomiędzy prywatnym a publicznym. Dzienniki André Gide’a i Witolda Gombrowicza

BETWEEN THE PRIVATE AND THE PUBLIC: THE JOURNALS OF ANDRÉ GIDE AND WITOLD GOMBROWICZ The article analyzes the journals of the two writers. In addition to a commentary on Gombrowicz’s inspiration by Gide’s Journals, which has been discussed several times by literary critics, it also attempts to interpret this pioneering work from a “Gombrowicz-like” perspective, that is focusing on the matter of interpersonal relationships. The author of the article therefore applies some contradictory concepts which have been used so far in a limited number of studies to contrast the Polish and French writer

Le retour de Michel Foucault à l’histoire et à la littérature

The article is devoted to the functioning of the notion of „history” in Michel Foucault’s methodological project. The subject of interest is the author of Discipline and Punish as a theoretician of the historiography, literature and textual self‑creation. In other words, the article discusses Foucault’s three projects: 1) a revision of history as a research subject – from understanding it in categories of continuity and identity to perceiving it in categories of non‑continuity and differences, 2) interpretative and inter‑textual literature – and its history of the same type, 3) „the aesthetization of existence”.L’article est consacré au fonctionnement de la notion « histoire » dans le projet méthodologique de Michel Foucault. L’objet de notre étude est l’auteur de Surveiller et punir. La naissance de la prison comme théoricien de l’historiographie, de la littérature et de l’auto-création textuelle. Autrement dit, nous présentons dans cet article trois projets de Foucault : 1. de la révision de l’histoire comme objet de recherches, de la conception de la percevoir dans les catégories de continuité et identité à la perspective des catégories de non-continuité et de différence ; 2. de la littérature interprétative et intertextuelle – et de son histoire au même caractère ; 3. « de l’esthétisation de l’existence »

Trzy opowieści o Obcym. Kristeva, Gombrowicz, Pankowski

Three stories about the Stranger. Kristeva, Gombrowicz, Pankowski The article deals with the links between strangeness, otherness and foreignness. Julia Kristeva’s book Strangers to Ourselves provides a theoretical context for an interpretation of two novels: Trans-Atlantyk by Witold Gombrowicz and A Visitor by Marian Pankowski. Both the Bulgarian-French theorist and the two Polish writers demonstrate various links of the category of strangeness and its derivatives and the identity discourse. The traditional notion of identity turns out to have oppressive consequences, because despite its apparent neutrality it is defined through a judgemental reference to its contradiction: non-identity as well as otherness. Kristeva, Gombrowicz and Pankowski propose alternative forms of identity which are — like the identity of a foreigner — open, heterogenous and open to difference. Three stories about the Stranger. Kristeva, Gombrowicz, Pankowski The article deals with the links between strangeness, otherness and foreignness. Julia Kristeva’s book Strangers to Ourselves provides a theoretical context for an interpretation of two novels: Trans-Atlantyk by Witold Gombrowicz and A Visitor by Marian Pankowski. Both the Bulgarian-French theorist and the two Polish writers demonstrate various links of the category of strangeness and its derivatives and the identity discourse. The traditional notion of identity turns out to have oppressive consequences, because despite its apparent neutrality it is defined through a judgemental reference to its contradiction: non-identity as well as otherness. Kristeva, Gombrowicz and Pankowski propose alternative forms of identity which are — like the identity of a foreigner — open, heterogenous and open to difference

Między narcyzmem a histerią. Recenzja książki Sebastiana Jagielskiego: "Maskarady męskości. Pragnienie homospołeczne w polskim kinie fabularnym"

BETWEEN NARCISSISM AND HYSTERIA. REVIEW OF SEBASTIAN JAGIELSKI’S BOOK MASKARADY MĘSKOOECI. PRAGNIENIE HOMOSPOŁECZNE W POLSKIM KINIE FABULARNYMThe text is a review of Sebastian Jagielski’s book Maskarady męskości. Pragnienie homospołeczne w polskim kinie fabularnym. According to the reviewer, this book is an original and pioneering use of tools of queer theory to the analysis of Polish cinema. Jagielski uses the terms “queer” and “homosocial desire” to analyze the identity of protagonists of films by, among others, Michał Waszyński, Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Zanussi, Władysław Pasikowski. Polish queer cinema has evolved from the modernist conventions camp, cross-dressing to postmodern coming out.Translated by Marian BieleckiBETWEEN NARCISSISM AND HYSTERIA. REVIEW OF SEBASTIAN JAGIELSKI’S BOOK MASKARADY MĘSKOOECI. PRAGNIENIE HOMOSPOŁECZNE W POLSKIM KINIE FABULARNYMThe text is a review of Sebastian Jagielski’s book Maskarady męskości. Pragnienie homospołeczne w polskim kinie fabularnym. According to the reviewer, this book is an original and pioneering use of tools of queer theory to the analysis of Polish cinema. Jagielski uses the terms “queer” and “homosocial desire” to analyze the identity of protagonists of films by, among others, Michał Waszyński, Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Zanussi, Władysław Pasikowski. Polish queer cinema has evolved from the modernist conventions camp, cross-dressing to postmodern coming out.Translated by Marian Bieleck

Writer and critic, about Gombrowicz Kijowski’s

Artykuł poświęcony jest artystycznej zależności Andrzeja Kijowskiego od Witolda Gombrowicza. Intertekstualna analiza twórczości Kijowskiego potwierdza to, co sugerowali literaturoznawcy, a także to, do czego on sam się przyznawał, mianowicie, że zwłaszcza na wczesnym etapie pisarstwa pozostawał pod silnym wpływem utworów i osoby Gombrowicza. Groteskowa poetyka powieści, konstrukcja bohatera, strategie parodystyczne – to wynik inspiracji Ferdydurke. W twórczości późniejszej tych zapożyczeń jest już mniej, pojawiają się też próby polemiki. Po religijnym nawróceniu Kijowski zbliża się do Boga, a tym samym oddala od Gombrowicza.The article is devoted to the topic of artistic dependence of Andrzej Kijowski on Witold Gombrowicz. Intertextual analysis of Kijowski’s work confirms what literary scholars have suggested, as well as what he himself has admitted. Especially in the early stages of his writing, he was strongly influenced by Gombrowicz’s works and person. The grotesque poetics of his novels, the way he constructed his protagonists, and parodic strategies were all inspired by Gombrowicz’s novel Ferdydurke. In his late-period output, such borrowings became less numerous, while there were also attempts at polemics. After experiencing religious conversion, Kijowski became closer to God and thus moved away from Gombrowicz

On the Anguish of Youth, Ressentiment, Disgust, and the Question Whether Thomas Bernhard Read Witold Gombrowicz

Artykuł jest interpretacją wybranych utworów Thomasa Bernharda w kontekście twórczości Witolda Gombrowicza. W moim przekonaniu zagadkowa aluzja do polskiego pisarza w powieści Zaburzenie jest nie tylko efektem lektury, ale i artystycznej inspiracji. Bernharda i Gombrowicza łączyłoby uwrażliwienie na międzyludzki aspekt egzystencji i jego kulturowe uwarunkowania. Rodzinę, szkołę postrzegali jako opresywne instytucje uwikłane w symboliczną i realną przemoc. Podstawową strategią obronną bohaterów jest afekt wstrętu.The article is an interpretation of Thomas Bernhard’s selected works in the context of the works of Witold Gombrowicz. In my opinion, the mysterious allusion to the Polish writer in the novel Gargoyles is an effect of not only the act of reading but also artistic inspiration. Both Bernhard and Gombrowicz are sensitive to the interpersonal aspect of existence and its cultural determinants. They perceive the family and school as oppressive institutions entangled in symbolic and real violence. The primary defence strategy of the protagonists is the affect of disgust

A prolegomena to the reading of "Kronos" by Witold Gombrowicz

This article is devoted not so much to the interpretation of Witold Gombrowicz’s Kronos, but considering difficulties of interpretation this book. This difficulties stem from the unclear genological and ontological status of the text, because it is not certain whether it is diary or autobiography, document or literature. Ascetic poetics indicate that Kronos tells the truth and nothing but the truth. According to the article’s author, this book is not collection of pure facts, but a construct created on the border between truth and fiction, existence and texts of Witold Gombrowicz. If Kronos brings some facts, they are in any cases subject to interpretation, which excludes their explicitness and obviousness.Artykuł jest poświęcony nie tyle interpretacji Kronosa Witolda Gombrowicza, ile rozważaniu trudności interpretacji tej książki. Trudności te wynikają z niejasnego statusu genologicznego i ontologicznego tego tekstu, ponieważ nie jest pewne, czy jest on dziennikiem czy autobiografią, dokumentem czy literaturą. Ascetyczna poetyka wskazywałaby, że Kronos zawiera prawdę i tylko prawdę. Zdaniem autora artykułu, książka ta nie jest zbiorem czystych faktów, ale konstruktem stworzonym na pograniczu prawdy i fikcji, egzystencji i tekstów Witolda Gombrowicza. Jeśli Kronos przynosi jakieś fakty, to w każdym wypadku podlegają one interpretacji, co wyklucza ich jednoznaczność i oczywistość

Śmierć autora, czyli o tym, jak Skolimowski załatwił Gombrowicza

DEATH OF THE AUTHOR, OR HOW SKOLIMOWSKI COOKED GOMBROWICZ’S GOOSEThe text is devoted to the film adaptation of the novel Ferdydurke, made by Jerzy Skolimowski. The author points out two main reasons for the artistic failure of the director. Firstly, Skolimowski did not take into account the peculiarities of the poetics of the novel, especially its performative character. Nor did he take into account Gombrowicz’s metaliterary discourse, or its specific location in the structure of the novel. Secondly, Skolimowski used traditional understanding of the “Forms” category, in which it is treated as something oppressive and external. Meanwhile, Gombrowicz’s “Form” has also a performative dimension: it is the limit, but at the same time creates that which is prohibited. The author also challenges the previous attempts to indicate the analogy between Gombrowicz and Skolimowski.Translated by Marian BieleckiDEATH OF THE AUTHOR, OR HOW SKOLIMOWSKI COOKED GOMBROWICZ’S GOOSEThe text is devoted to the film adaptation of the novel Ferdydurke, made by Jerzy Skolimowski. The author points out two main reasons for the artistic failure of the director. Firstly, Skolimowski did not take into account the peculiarities of the poetics of the novel, especially its performative character. Nor did he take into account Gombrowicz’s metaliterary discourse, or its specific location in the structure of the novel. Secondly, Skolimowski used traditional understanding of the “Forms” category, in which it is treated as something oppressive and external. Meanwhile, Gombrowicz’s “Form” has also a performative dimension: it is the limit, but at the same time creates that which is prohibited. The author also challenges the previous attempts to indicate the analogy between Gombrowicz and Skolimowski.Translated by Marian Bieleck