Authors

Urszula Chowaniec¹; Justyna Wierzchowska²;  ¹ Lund University, Sweden;  ² Warsaw University, Belarus

Discussion

Unsurprisingly, the turmoil of politics has touched every piece of land: disruptions and upheavals have marked the history of Poland. Positioned between two hegemonic powers and, at times, becoming a hegemon, Poland’s ever-changing borders have historically encompassed a diverse mix of ethnicities and religions.

The advent of Romanticism and the rise of nationalism brought forth the symbolic and political figure of the Polish Mother, deeply entwined with the notion of the Polish nation. In our presentation, we aim to examine the uneasy yet significant relationship between this figure and the construction of the Yiddishe Mame, set against the backdrop of Poland’s demographic and cultural ruptures, including the partitions, transatlantic emigration, and the cataclysm of the Second World War.

This historical overview will serve as a foundation for our analysis of contemporary Polish literature, exploring depictions of motherhood that challenge traditional narratives. Our presentation will be twofold: we will introduce the History of Motherhood in Polish-Language Literature project that we are currently developing, and we will offer a sample close reading of works by Bożena Keff, Wioletta Grzegorzewska, and Olga Tokarczuk, while referencing other relevant authors.

Through this exploration, we aim to illuminate alternative perspectives on historical disruptions. These literary representations offer complex and often subversive portrayals of motherhood, transcending the confines of established historical and cultural scripts. In doing so, we hope to contribute to a broader understanding of how motherhood is negotiated and reimagined in times of social, political, and cultural turmoil.