„[…] wygnana z Raju na wieczysty czas, mająca zbrodnię u swych białych stóp” – obraz kobiety fatalnej twórczości Walerija Briusowa

Abstract

Based on the selected works of Valery Bryusov, this article is focused on presenting one of the main problems of literature functioning under the aegis of decadence, namely a femme fatale character. The stories Marble Head and For Yourself or For Someone Else?, and the novel The Last Pages From Woman’s Diary have been analyzed in terms of issues and characteristics of the characters. The author draws attention to the cultural and social foundations of the birth of woman-beast at the turn of the 19th and the early 20th century, which is the epitome of, among others, fear of a strong, active woman, rooted in the male psyche.