Odkrywając na nowo teatralność Moralności pani Dulskiej

Abstract

The author of this study reviews interpretations of The Morality of Mrs. Dulska, the the most important play by Gabriela Zapolska. He discloses weaknesses of various interpretation approaches, such as feminist or sociological, that actually reduce the meanings contained in the text. The author argues: “if Zapolską is perceived principally as a critic of society, as an artist whose work can be reduced to fight in the moral sphere, the conclusion is inevitable that her work, as important and inspiring as it is, has become obsolete along with the age that it describes and that is no longer familiar to us. From that perspective, Zapolska can be appreciated for her then sobriety and originality – that point of view saves Zapolska as a pioneering writer”. The author proposes the following hypothesis in response to his observations: “By denying theatricality of life as such, Mrs. Dulska limits her life strategy to escape from life. In my opinion, this play by Zapolska addresses this subject – even more than the status of a 19th-century woman. The play is about theatre, connections between theatre and life, and this makes it current, timeless and universal”.