Fotografia i historia w narracji Leszka Szarugi (powieść Zdjęcie)

Abstract

Leszek Szaruga’s novel is built by two interweaving narrative sequences which may be arbitrarily called photographic and historical ones. Photography and history function here through literature, in a closed off and finite semiotic system – constituted by a novel. It is literature which establishes the scope of reference for them. A photograph here is repeatedly a part of somebody’s story (by inscribing itself into the anthology of private narratives), while a story is somebody’s “photograph” (by inscribing itself into the album taken from history archives). Historic qualities of photography and, conversely, photographic ones of history determine each other mutually. A photograph presenting starving people in Africa triggers a character’s reflection, whereas co-existence of beauty and terror in a photograph makes him embark on a number of actions: photographing the photograph, or optical enlarging of its details. This, in turn, seems to constitute a kind of simulation of participating in the presented events which indicates taking up a hermeneutical game with reality. 20th century history of Poland, viewed from a perspective of the 1990s, is being written out for a set of life histories of people who represent different generations, thus forming a historic narrative chain in the novel. The novel’s polylogue on historical topics, as well as reflection revealed by the character under the influence of the viewed photograph create a dynamic anthropological project based on an assumption that being outside history is utopia, while existence means activeness, consciousness, and responsibility.