A good master of slaves (that did not exist) : nation-building oblivion of serfdom in Eliza Orzeszkowa's "Nad Niemnem"

Bibliogr. s. 132-133

The text describes lack of memory about serfdom and enforced labour (pańszczyzna) in "Nad Niemnem" as a source of ideological incoherence of the project of unity between the Polish landed gentry and villagers. The analysis of the social views of three generations of the Korczyński family against the rhetoric of "defenders of serfdom" (A. Leszczyński) and the choice of the Bohatyrowicz family as representatives of "the people" leads to observing the manipulation of social history. The role of Aesopian speech in relation to the antagonism between the social and national-centric tasks of the novel is examined. Reading "Nad Niemnem" in the light of contemporary historical works from the people's history of Poland forces a critical look at the project of the community in "Nad Niemnem" as a novel promoting relations based on equality within the national community.