Między życiem a śmiercią - o cierpieniu i wolności wyboru (na podstawie Esther Stefana Chwina)

Abstract

Esther by Chwin is a work of palimpsest nature, in which questions appear concerning suffering, lapse of time, pain, not only physical, but also existential. The characters of the novel are “dead alive”, or constantly rub shoulders with death — they are melancholic, incurably ill, and rebellious against the order of the world. The pain of existence which they feel is unbearable, therefore, some of them choose suicide, others, like Esther Simmel, conscious withdrawal from life, dwelling in the intermediate sphere. A question arises what makes our life suddenly break through and why things that used to bring joy, cease to do so. Such and other questions concerning the dark side of existence remain unanswered. In order to domesticate the thinking of the ultimate end of everything, Chwin proposes cancelling the border separating life from death - a human being starts dying from the moment of his birth. Such a philosophy allows us to dispel the fear of illness, old age, passing away. The necessity to appreciate every NOW, the choice of active living, the fight against “the demon of pessimism and melancholy” - this is Chwin’s proposal for a living. What is weak in a man may constitute his greatness. Even illness and suffering has a recovering power which enables the man to get rid of bad predispositions. Against the frailty of existence (there is no such beauty that time would not destroy) stands the world of things, in which the author searches for his own spiritual identity that would bring sense and continuity to existence.