The Character and the Language. Based on the Example of Gustaw from the IVth Part of Adam Mickiewicz’s „Dziady”
Teresa Skubalanka
Abstract
The author deals with the analysis oflanguage phenomena which depend on the semi[1]otic roles played in the fourth part ofDziady by the main character ofthe work - Gustaw. He is a personality composed of various elements, which show their nature in the text in diverse ways, following the convention ofromantic poetics, particularly typical for a po[1]etic novel. The construction ofthe hero mirrors four main semiotic roles: those of a her[1]mit, a lover, a madman and a ghost. According to J. Kleiner it is only the role of a lover that is not a mask, a costume. The author ofthe article associates that function with the hermit, known from sentimental works. The juncture of the other roles determines the novel character of the drama, though the role of the lover seems really dominant. Due to its love themes, the style of Mickiewicz’s poetry includes many elements that are typical for Polish poetry in general, which come from the European cultural tradition. The work contains numerous comparisons serving as examples showing the historical continuity oflove vocabulary and phraseology. Linguistic links ofthe fourth part ofDzi[1]ady and erotic poetry tradition lie in the conceptual (connotational) fields oflove, inno[1]cence, ties, unity, service, lovers, unearthly beings, female beauty, kiss, parting, death, suicide, feelings that accompany love, symbolic gestures and intensification. When cre[1]ating the love language ofthe drama, the poet used the achievements ofhis predecessors in a selective manner. Thus, for example, the intensity ofthe feeling is characterised by the names of gestures and actions, and not just by an appropriate selection of epithets. The feelings depicted are also presented in a changing and graded manner. The alterna[1]tion of Gustaw’s utterances is one ofthe most typical features ofthe narrative in that part ofDziady. Gustaw’s madness has particularly strong influence on the linguistic shape of the work. The feature involves delexicalizations and dephraseologizations of e.g. the ex[1]pressions traditionally associated with the phraseology ofthe fire oflove. The most hid[1]den is the semiotic role of Gustaw as the ghost. Only the children, acting as a sort of a chorus commenting the character and actions of the hero, immediately recognise that role, which is so important for the ambiguous, mysterious cognitive structure ofMick[1]iewicz’s work.
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