Joseph Conrad's Legacy in Postwar Polish Émigré Literature

Abstract

Abstract Joseph Conrad, his life and oeuvre, had been of major influence in Polish literature almost from the very start of his literary career. This was due to the artistic innovativeness of the author of Heart of Darkness, his Polish origin and unique expatriate biography. It is therefore unsurprising, that Conrad would be of particular interest for writers and intellectuals who found themselves in exile after the Second World War. In that diverse community, he was the subject of critical literary discourse and a source of inspiration. And in such context distinct attention should be paid to Andrzej Bobkowski's stories written in Guatemala, as they often refer to the Conradian tradition. One of the stories in which the reader can easily locate motifs from Conrad's work is “Spotkanie” [An Encounter]. The text reveals the depth and breadth of the influence of the great predecessor on Bobkowski's work, e.g., in terms of the subject matter, the construction of characters, and the choice of narrative strategies. Yet as a detailed analysis of the story reveals, Conrad's model is recast here in a manner that addresses the issues prominent in the more recent exile literature, i.e., transformation of subjective identity and the opposition between the local community and the self-conscious outsider.