Forgotten Books: On the Making of Jane Porter’s "Thaddeus of Warsaw"

Abstract

This article attempts to identify and examine some of the factors and sources that led to the creation of a largely forgotten prose work of English fiction titled Thaddeus of Warsaw (1803) which became an immediate and extraordinary success. Jane Porter’s novel deals with a fictitious Polish patriot Thaddeus Sobieski, who is modelled on the Polish national hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko. The novel presents an excellent illustration of the cultural links between Great Britain and Poland towards the end of the 18th century and constitutes a cautionary tale for Porter’s English readers, one that creates a basis for moral reform and political engagement.