Vztah mezi příbytkem a niterným světem fikčních postav v díle Arnošta Lustiga
Relations between the dwellings and inner worlds of the fictional characters in the work of Arnošt Lustig

Summary/Abstract: In our study we have focused on the space of the attic room, which presented the characters not only with a vision of refuge from the outside world, but also a place for dreaming and remembering the times before World War II. Since somebody else’s intervention they have lost their birthplace, background, and sense of security, so little by little they are coming to find and create an existence in a new space, where they usually experience feelings of anxiety, but also fear of what will happen in the coming days. The mental pain and emptiness are very profound in the attic, which is characterized by a darkness and uninviting appearance. The room or small chamber with a dormer window in Arnost Lustig's openings becomes a dominant space where the stories take place of characters who reflect on the meaning of their lives. The attic room, or if we want to use the term, dwelling, is a provisional/temporary place in the author's works, where the characters will not remain forever and will never have the opportunity to settle permanently. This area is mainly inhabited by the characters of Jewish victims whose existence has no meaning, which is reflected in its own way in the room’s furnishing. The room is furnished simply, and we find only the necessities for survival. There is never a lack of a table, chairs and a bed, but we will hardly ever find other props there. The parts of each space involve things which are also involved in the overall nature of the space and thus this object enters the awareness of the characters who will use the things not only for their own needs, but these things also become a means enabling the characters to think back to past times. In accordance with the performed analysis we can conclude that the objects are not mere props that fill the almost empty space, but they are bearers of substance and they also have their own ontological existence.

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