Powieść bez tytułu Józefa Ignacego Kraszewskiego jako „powieść uniwersytecka”

Abstract

The article draws attention to the values related to social environment present in Kraszewski’s novel of 1854. Establishing Stanisław Szarski, a writer and man of conscience and civic mission, as the protagonist of the novel, Kraszewski subordinated the narration and plot to a metacritical reflection on the cultural and social role of university ideals. The novel’s most important assets, contributing to its popularity among the Vilnius residents, included seeing the city and its inhabitants from the perspective of a university student – a newcomer from the Lithuanian province, as well as the representation of the life of academic youth, with its rituals and spontaneous behaviours, going far beyond the school walls. An important aspect discussed in the article is the autobiographical dimension of the Untitled Novel (Powieść bez tytułu). The outbreak of the uprising and the closure of the university interrupted Kraszewski’s studies and made it impossible for him to continue education in the usual way. However, the university experience prepared him to write for a wide audience and created a need to actively participate in the public life of local communities.