Editing Polish literature (section)

==Positivism==
In the aftermath of the failed [[January Uprising|January 1863 Uprising]] against [[Imperial Russia|Russian]] occupation, the new period of [[Positivism in Poland|Polish Positivism]]—which took its name from [[Auguste Comte]]'s philosophy of [[Positivism]]—advocated [[skepticism]] and the exercise of [[reason]]. Questions addressed by Poland's Positivist writers revolved around "organic work," which included the establishment of [[civil rights|equal rights]] for all members of society, including [[feminism|feminists]]; the [[cultural assimilation|assimilation]] of Poland's [[History of the Jews in Poland|Jewish minority]]; and the defense of the Polish population in the German-ruled part of Poland against ''[[Kulturkampf]]'' [[Germanization]] and the [[Prussian deportations|displacement]] of the Polish population by German settlers. The writers worked to educate the public about constructive patriotism, which would enable Polish society to function as a fully integrated "[[social organism]]", regardless of adverse circumstances.<ref>[[Czesław Miłosz]], ''The History of Polish Literature'', p. 284.</ref> Poland's Positivist period lasted until the turn of the 20th century and the advent of the [[Young Poland]] movement.

=== Henryk Sienkiewicz ===
Several positivistic Polish writers' work was considered pivotal for the progress of Polish literature. Among them, [[Henryk Sienkiewicz]] received the greatest critical acclaim by being awarded [[Nobel Prize in Literature|the Nobel Prize in Literature]] as the first Polish writer. At first, he was appreciated for his journalism work. Next, he started to publish novellas that were widely admired, including ''Orso'' (a novella about a half-Indian and his partner who work together in a circus and are being physically abused by a circus owner), ''[[Bartek the Conqueror]]'' (a story of a Polish peasant that is forced to join Prussian army), ''[[Janko the Musician]]'' (a novella about a sickly boy who is exceptionally talented in music which frightens villagers), ''The Lighhouse Keeper'' (a deeply emotional novella treating about nostalgia and loneliness), ''[[From the Diary of a Poznań Teacher]]'' (a novella that criticizes prussian education system that polish people were forced into), and ''[[Sachem]]'' (a story about town in America that was built on the ruin of former Indian hamlet).<ref>{{Cite web |title=WolneLektury.pl |url=https://wolnelektury.pl/katalog/autor/henryk-sienkiewicz/gatunek/nowela/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=wolnelektury.pl}}</ref>
[[Henryk Sienkiewicz|Sienkiewicz's]] novellas were successful and popular, however they were completely overstrided by his novels' excellence. In 1884, 1886, and 1888, he released three volumes of his Trilogy: ''[[With Fire and Sword]]'' (Ogniem i Mieczem), ''[[The Deluge (novel)|The Deluge]]'' (Potop), and ''[[Pan Michael]]'' (Pan Wołodyjowski), respectively.  The books were written "to lift up the heart" of the Polish nation during the era of the [[Partitions of Poland|partitions]] and because of that the epic plot and heroic actions were favored over historical accuracy. Yet, Sienkiewicz tried to preserve the historical context of the books by using the archaic language.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Przeczytaj - Zintegrowana Platforma Edukacyjna |url=https://zpe.gov.pl/a/przeczytaj/D1DwJrqHs |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=zpe.gov.pl}}</ref> The novels also served as descriptions of potential causes of Poland's fall. Having risen to international fame, Sienkiewicz continued to publish novels embedded in historical context. First, in 1896 he published [[Quo Vadis (novel)|Quo Vadis]] about ancient [[Rome]] under the rule of emperor [[Nero]]. The book was written in an extensively detailed way to depict the [[Roman Empire]] accurately.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Krzyzanowski |first1=Jerzy R. |last2=Kulczycka-Saloni |first2=J. |last3=Markiewicz |first3=H. |last4=Zabicki |first4=Z. |date=1966 |title=Obraz literatury polskiej XIX i XX wieku; Literatura polska w okresie realizmu i naturalizmu, tom I |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/305053 |journal=The Slavic and East European Journal |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=468 |doi=10.2307/305053 |jstor=305053 |issn=0037-6752}}</ref> Next, he decided to reflect again on Poland's most magnificent historic victories and released [[The Knights of the Cross|The ''Knights of the Cross'']] (Krzyżacy) in 1900. The novel portrays medieval life in Poland, depicting the ongoing customs of life, and centers its plot on defeating the German Order of the [[Teutonic Knight]]s. 5 years later, he won a Nobel Prize for his accomplishments (not for a single book) and dedicated his recognition to being a citizen of Poland, which at the time did not exist.

=== Bolesław Prus ===
Another prominent figure of Polish Positivism was [[Bolesław Prus]]. He debuted as a journalist, but soon he started publishing novellas. Their main motif was simple people who were emotionally hurt. Just as in ''[[The Barrel Organ]]'' (1880) Prus portrays a retired lawyer who excelled at his job and became a professional, yet, he suffers from the lack of a lifetime partner. The author symbolically uses the barrel organ as a means of uniting the lawyer with his new neighbors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WolneLektury.pl |url=https://wolnelektury.pl/katalog/lektura/katarynka/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=wolnelektury.pl}}</ref> Prus also published several novels that were the most representative literature pieces of positivistic philosophy. He wrote books like ''[[The Doll (Prus novel)|The Doll]]'' or ''[[The Outpost (Prus novel)|The Outpost]]'', which presented complex psychological portraits of the characters, encompassed several naturalistic descriptions of life in 19th-century Polish cities, and disseminated concepts of [[social equality]], [[feminism]], and [[Organic work|work ideology]]. Especially, the novel "''The Doll''" became one of the most significant books of Polish literature. Prus depicted 19th-century Warsaw in an extensively detailed way, including thorough descriptions of the architecture, real-life events, social life, and customs, where Polish citizens lived along with Jews. The writer delves into not only the lives of aristocrats and upper-class citizens but also attempts to present the lives of poor and homeless people. Each character of the novel, despite their social class origin, is scrupulously portrayed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wizja miasta w Lalce Bolesława Prusa - Zintegrowana Platforma Edukacyjna |url=https://zpe.gov.pl/b/wizja-miasta-w-lalce-boleslawa-prusa/PrnJQMbqd |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=zpe.gov.pl}}</ref> The author tries to convey multifaceted aspects of the life of each character, often ambiguously presenting them. By doing this, he preserves the realistic approach that dominated the literature of that time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Przeczytaj - Zintegrowana Platforma Edukacyjna |url=https://zpe.gov.pl/a/przeczytaj/DvoyVuW05 |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=zpe.gov.pl}}</ref>
Prominent writers and poets of Polish Positivism included:
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* [[Narcyza Żmichowska]] (1819–76), precursor of [[feminism in Poland]]
* [[Edmund Chojecki]] (1822–99)
* [[Maria Ilnicka]] (1825 or 1827–97)
* [[Józef Szujski]] (1835–83)
* [[Michał Bałucki]] (1837–1901)
* [[Adam Asnyk]] (1838–97)
* [[Adolf Dygasiński]] (1839–1902)
* [[Eliza Orzeszkowa]] (1841–1910), ''[[Nad Niemnem]]''
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* [[Maria Konopnicka]] (1842–1910), ''[[Rota (poem)|Rota]]''
* [[Henryk Sienkiewicz]] (1846–1916), ''[[Quo Vadis (novel)|Quo Vadis]]''; <small>Nobel Prize, 1905</small>
* [[Bolesław Prus]] (1847–1912), ''[[The Doll (Prus novel)|The Doll]]'', ''[[Pharaoh (Prus novel)|Pharaoh]]''
* [[Kazimierz Zalewski]] (1849–1919)
* [[Aleksander Świętochowski]] (1849–1938)
* [[Gabriela Zapolska]] (1857–1921)
* [[Maria Rodziewiczówna]] (1863–1944)
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