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Gombrowicz in the Confrontation With "the Worst of Wild Monkeys" - About the Limits of Interpreting Literature from the Perspective of Social Sciences
Abstract
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of the article is to show the limitations in interdisciplinary interpretation of Witold Gombrowicz’s literary output.
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: There has been discussed the issue of the legitimacy of reading Gombrowicz’s works from the perspective of political science and sociology. I point out the limitations and dangers related to this direction of interpretation. Although literary works are subject to analysis, they are treated as a kind of record of political and sociological observations. Therefore, the applied methodology uses tools appropriate for both literary studies and social sciences.
THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The starting point is the statement that the message is ambiguous as a characteristic of the literary output of the author of Ferdydurke. Then, there are vivid examples of overinterpretation and ideologization of Gombrowicz’s work. On this basis, I define certain boundaries within which it is possible to analyze individual pieces in a less risky manner.
RESEARCH RESULTS: The non-political character declared by the writer is related to the reluctance to examine the position on political points – but not to restrictively ignore the issues of broadly understood politics. Reading Gombrowicz literally carries too high a risk. It is just as wrong to add an ideological background to his works, as well as to read it as a commentary on historical events.
CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The key to the political and sociological reading of Gombrowicz’s works may be a broad understanding of the political aspect, while seeking the author’s distancing himself from any Form.
Keywords
Witold Gombrowicz ; political science ; sociology ; literary studies
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