A nemzetiségekről rajzolt idegenkép Jókai 1848–49-es témájú műveiben
National Minorities and Depictions of Foreigness in Jókai’s Works Dealing with Events of 1848–1849

Summary/Abstract: The study compares depictions of foreignness in Jókai’s texts of various genres. The analysis is based on works with the topic of the 1848 Revolution and War of Independence because these events confront one most acutely with the issue of relations or attitude towards strangers. The difference between the shaded representations in his novels or short stories and the attitude of the factual literary texts is striking. In addition to narratological aspects, the context of literary history and the study of 19th century works of historiographic narration aid towards shedding light onto the causes of this difference. Some of them formulate the ideal of assimilation for national minorities. Jókai, realizing the relativity of truth, presumably did not believe in this view, but did not contradict the historian canon; in his historical writings he evaded a more thorough examination of the issue. The better-known part of his oeuvre, his novels and short stories reveal an author open to tolerance, yet at the same time deeply attached to his national values.

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