Proces. O sądzeniu w nowelach Bolesława Prusa
The Lawsuit. Passing of a Sentence in Bolesław Prus’ Short Stories

Summary/Abstract: The passing of a sentence is one of the most commonly recurring themes in the artistic legacy of Bolesław Prus. The writer was intrigued by the universal tendency of people to judge others, he carefully studied the nature of every rumour and analysed the mechanism of ostracism and the driving power behind public opinion. As a contemporary chronicler, he commented on reforms of the judiciary, nursing a hope that, thanks to the existence of institutions, man will gain partial protection against the terror of rumour. Writing about the acts of court adjudication and conviction, Prus habitually refrained from offering simple, unequivocal solutions. He portrayed the drama of a man under indictment, unaware of the legal proceedings, deprived of the right to a defence and falling into the trap of rumours and circumstantial evidence weighing against him. Appealing to the radicalism of the evangelical message, the writer suggested the existence of yet another order of justice, such which cannot be confined solely to legal codes and court procedures, but is based on the principles of forgiveness and mercy instead.

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