Wzór poczciwego młodzieńca kreowany w Żywocie Mikołaja Reja

Abstract

The aim of this consideration was: first, an attempt at reconstructing the image of kind-hearted youth – based on Life of the kind-hearted man by Mikołaj Rej; second, an arrangement of language forms needed for the writer to influence the reader’s way of thinking and behaviour. Analysing the composition in detail, the authoress concludes that in creation of the worth emulating character, the writer used language forms typical of the persuasive function, i.e. the second person singular; numerous apostrophes; normative statements with modal predicatives e.g. should, ought to, need; directives of significant categorization e.g. order or prohibition; and acts characterized by less categorization e.g. advice, encouragement, hint or suggestion. In addition, the selection of literary genre, i.e. ‘ the looking glass’; the title of the whole as well as the names of particular chapters; and also recalled exempla – all these influenced the recipient in an incredible way. With the above mentioned language devices, Rej – the teacher, and at the same time Rej – the moralizer tried to create the image of a young man, persuading him to live a kind-hearted life which is virtuous, honest, decent and respectable.