Antoni Malczewski jako magnetyzer. Opowiadanie Zdarzenie prawdziwe Michała Modzelewskiego w kontekście literatury o magnetyzmie

Abstract

The article is devoted to a mysterious text by Michal Modzelewski titled Zdarzenie prawdziwe [A Real Event], which describes the course of a magnetic therapy conducted by Antoni Malczewski on Zofia Rucinska, the last life companion of the Volhynian poet. Although the author basically does not challenge the hypothesis of his predecessors, claiming that Malczewski could be the author of the text (perhaps written in French) which was the prototype for Modzelewski’s short story, a careful analysis of Zdarzenie prawdziwe and situating the short story in the broad context of magnetic literature allows to put forward new hypotheses concerning its genesis and provide a better understanding of both the typical and unique character of the history of Zofia Rucinska’s treatment. While some questions remain unanswered, one thing emerges with certainty: despite the literary topos of the passive woman seduced by the cunning magnetizer, it is Zofia Rucinska who turns out to be the active party, destroying all gender stereotypes of that time.