Spotkanie. Opowiadanie Jarosława Iwaszkiewicza Przyjaciele jako dyskurs o możliwościach ludzkiego porozumienia

Abstract

This article shows the connections between Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz’s pre-war works and the philosophy of dialogue. In the period between the world wars, philosophy of dialogue, one of the most interesting aspects of modem anthropology, was rapidly developing. Already at that time Iwaszkiewicz argued with the views of Martin Buber and Gabriel Marcel. The story Friends presents the event of an encounter, its development and the tragic end; for Iwaszkiewicz does not avoid negative estimation of the possibilities of human mutual understanding, getting to know each other, and consequently - of friendship, love, and happiness. Both Buber and Marcel emphasised the necessity of the existence of the “other” in the life of every human being, since only this makes human existence complete. Such openness not only builds a dialogue between the subject and the object, but also forms a constituent feature of every “self’. On similar assumptions, Iwaszkiewicz built his own story. His two protagonists, older Wolff and younger Achilles, are confronted with each other, realizing that this is the turning point of their lives. The article also shows those spheres of spiritual and biological life that make dialogue impossible. Apart from the inner human perspective, the background is of equal importance - the stage that hosts the encounter. These aspects are set in the context of ethical and religious issues, which is justified both by Buber’s philosophy and by appropriate fragments of Iwaszkiewicz’s text. The conclusion points to the literary anthropology as such method of viewing a literary work that allows it to retain its autonomy. At the same time it links the text with the man - the subject, the object, and the medium of the literary work.