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Representations of the Evil in Joanna Bator’ Novels
Sandra Banas
Filip Kozina
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu
Sažetak
The article examines the representations of evil in two of Joanna Bator’s most acclaimed novels, Sandy Mountain (Piaskowa Góra) and Dark, Almost Night (Ciemno, prawie noc). The latter, despite its significant recognition in Poland and multiple literary awards, has yet to be translated into Croatian. Drawing on philosophical, theoretical, and analytical approaches that conceptualize evil in non-transcendental terms—that is, as an intrinsically human phenomenon—the analysis considers the problem of evil from both a universal human standpoint and a specifically Polish cultural and historical perspective. Within the first framework, the article investigates common motivations for committing acts of evil, including individual traumas rooted in domestic abuse, the pursuit of material gain, and the desire for power. The second perspective foregrounds the ways in which the consequences of collective traumas—particularly those stemming from the Second World War and the subsequent post-war forced migrations and displacements—intersect with ideologized messianic narratives and radicalized religious practices. In a politically and socially charged environment, these forces can be mobilized into a catalyst for violent action, a form of brutality that contemporary Polish society, influenced by competing ideological currents, does not entirely repudiate. A dedicated section addresses violence directed toward others and toward those perceived as different, tracing the continuum between verbal aggression in digital spaces and physical violence in the material world. The concluding section underscores that evil does not manifest as demonic or metaphysical, but rather assumes an ordinary, everyday human form, thereby affirming its banality (Arendt). Throughout the article, the central thesis derived from the novels remains consistent: evil generates further evil, violence reproduces violence, and breaking free from this vicious cycle appears less feasible at the collective level than through concrete individual acts.
Ključne riječi
Joanna Bator; evil; Poland; trauma; violence; otherness
Hrčak ID:
342303
URI
Datum izdavanja:
22.12.2025.
Posjeta: 438 *