Refleksja aksjologiczna w „Eli, Eli” Wojciecha Tochmana
Axiological Reflection in Wojciech Tochman’s „Eli, Eli”

Author(s): Monika Wiszniowska
Subject(s): Studies of Literature, Polish Literature, Culture and social structure , Theory of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: literary reportage; man in the modern world; border experience; moral dilemmas; Wojciech Tochman
Summary/Abstract: Literary journalism, by its genological nature, is not concerned with philosophical deliberations. Keeping this in mind, it is worth exploring the works of Wojciech Tochman, one of the most interesting contemporary writers, who is continuing the tradition of Polish literary journalism. Tochman’s writings include three collections of reportage on general social topics, one documentary novel, two novels treating of the genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda, as well as a story about the hell of everyday lives of the residents of Onyx – a district of Manila. However important the subject matter of his prose is, it is not in itself a measure of its artistic value. Unlike the majority of his colleagues, Tochman is not interested in telling a story about a “different” world, unknown to the readers. The subject of the author of „Eli, Eli’s” fascination is a human being. He pursues the question about who man is in today’s world and what defines his identity. A recurring motif in his writings is the difficult matter of telling a story of someone else’s extreme experience and reflection concerning the moral dilemmas raised by such an experience. The second, equally important feature of this prose, is the awareness of a reporter’s responsibility for their work, which also means responsibility for the world.

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