Selected cultural elements and allusions in five Polish translations of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 'The Great Gatsby'

Abstract

The Great Gatsby (1925) is considered the greatest literary achievement of Francis Scott Fitzgerald. Its first Polish translation was published in 1962. Presently, readers in Poland can choose from among six translations of this iconic work, with three of them added in 2021 and 2022, probably as a result of the entry of the book into the public domain in 2021. Fitzgerald, often regarded as a chronicler of the tumultuous Jazz Age in the United States, presents a socio-cultural narrative that invites reflection on how Polish translators dealt with the cultural elements and allusions pervasive in The Great Gatsby. This paper delves into selected cultural elements and allusions within the context of the five Polish translations of The Great Gatsby.