Krasiński Josepha Conrada

Abstract

Surveys of the possible influence of Zygmunt Krasiński’s works on Joseph Conrad’s literatury output, alternatively analyses of the parallels between Conrad’s and Krasiński’s world views are the activities both the necessary and absorbing as well as the arduous and thankless ones. From one hand, while interpreting the complex and tiered Conrad’s intertextuality in the short story, Prince Roman, we conclude that Conrad, juggling motives taken precisely from Mickiewicz and Krasiński, runs an intertextual game with all XIX-century Polish literature, especially – the romantic one. Against the commonly shared opinions about Mickiewicz as Polish ‘superfigure’ of Conradian prose, the poet seems to be only the ‘marionette’ in the hands of Lord Jim’s author (however – key ‘marionette’). It serves for Conrad to reckon up with the myth Poland: the romantic readings, moulds, codes and ciphers of the specific, patriotic behaviours. It is also emphasized in the structure of Prince Roman and also simultaneously gives an occasion to join Zygmunt Krasiński to that game of citations and paraphrases – as the unexpected partner in the literary Conrad’s discussion about the shape of Polish romantic culture, particularly – culture after The November Uprising. From another hand – what should not be forgotten – that kind of interference (muffled and subtle) is extremely difficult to prove and approve, therefore we are not able to find the large amount of evidences of Conrad-Krasiński dependences – not including to that group the reminiscences of particular literary situations, beginning that from Prince Roman and ending on Nostromo and considering the admiration of the Conrad’s father, Apollo Nałęcz-Korzeniowski to the author of The Un-Divine Comedy.