How Does Contemporary Polish Literature Tell Minority Stories of Women? On the Example of the Novels Sońka by Ignacy Karpowicz and Krótka wymiana ognia by Zyta Rudzka

Abstract

The article analyzes the way histories of rural working class women belonging to ethnic minorities are used in two contemporary Polish novels: Ignacy Karpowicz’s Sońka and Zyta Rudzka’s Krótka wymiana ognia [A Short Exchange of Fire]. The women characters are created in a similar way – they talk about their lives right before they die, showcasing a minority perspective on the 20th century history of Poland. Through analyzing literary and linguistic strategies utilized by the novels’ authors, the article shows how contemporary Polish literature creates minority histories, and, by their means, builds discourse concerning the sources of identity for the middle class.