Emancypacja – tak, ale jaka? Mężczyzna Gabrieli Zapolskiej i Typ A Marii Morozowicz-Szczepkowskiej – paralele i rozbieżności

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis of two plays, “A Man” by Gabriela Zapolska and “Type A” by Maria Morozowicz-Szczepkowska, profiled in order to characterize and then juxtapose their approaches to the issue of emancipation. The texts are nearly three decades apart, the two writers, who also had stage experience, present their understandings of emancipation in dynamic, well-constructed plays. They didn’t skip critical reflection about women’s rights and duties. Zapolska, living as a model emancipist, was ambivalent about demanding equal rights for women and men, suggesting that women should calm their emotions and particularistic aspirations in order to focus on the ethics of social concern, while Szczepkowska postulates women’s independence and financial autonomy to a much greater extent than her older predecessor. Both also address the topic of motherhood, significant for Zapolska, less important for Szczepkowska. Asking questions about the shape of emancipation, both authors gave answers that were clear, multidimensional and inclined to discuss their potential effectiveness in a male-centric world.