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Abstract

The notions of otherness and selfness belong to anthropological categories and bear the features of social stereotypes. As such, they evoke interest of researchers in various fields. In the post-modem world, the category of otherness stopped functioning in its traditional, anthropological sense; it has become blurred and is now used exchangeably with other terms. This article, basing on linguistic analysis, shows the difference between the Stranger and the Other, and on the basis of selected literary texts (Sienkiewicz’s Janko the Musician and Prus’s The Mistake), examines mutual relations between these categories and their importance in the analysis and interpretation of literary texts.