Bolesław Prus i wątpliwy blask
Bolesław Prus and Doubtful Glare of Progress

Summary/Abstract: Industrialisation, cities concentration, technical progress and disseminating its results, emancipation processes of groups and social classes to date excluded from the dominating discourse, birth and development of the bourgeoisie – Prus touched upon all those issues continuously “testing” Polish society for the phenomena and categories listed above. The examination was usually unfavourable: Poles are in a state of civilisational backwardness and may become either mere consumers or followers of Western experiences, a society of peripheral modernisation. The progress was supposed to bring about various valuable changes. However, as it seems, Prus’ writing about the benefits of modernisation, along with a conviction (quite characteristic of the epoch) about inescapable happiness to which steam engine, railroad, telegraph and other discoveries and inventions contribute, fear and doubt are awakened. The creativity is primarily marked by a communicational drama taking place in the society in which interpersonal bonds now cease to exist.

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