Resumo de The Doll (lalka)

The novel entitled "The Doll" was created as an answer to the issues raised by Polish positivsm. Its origins can be traced back to the author's personal experience - being raised on Romantic ideas of national freedom and then witnessing their consequent failure. Prus noticed significant economic changes which influenced the formation of new, capitalistic socio-economic structures. The society had not been prepared for their coming. That is most probably why Prus himself describes the book's theme as such:"The novel's theme is as follows: the portrayal of our Polish idealists in the setting of social decay. The decay being the fact that good people are either put to waste or flee, and that scoundrels are doing well. That Polish businesses are collapsing and Jewish fortunes are raised on their debris. That good women (Stawska ) are unhappy, and that bad women (Izabela ??cka) are idolized. That extraordinary men run into thousands of obstacles (Wokulski), that those honest and fair lack energy (the prince), that man is harrased by common distrust and suspicion".Prus depicted the collapse of society on the examples of various social classes: aristocracy, nobility, city-dwelling middle-class and common folk.Polish aristocracy meets with the biggest amount of criticism because, according to the author, it is responsible for the country's downfall. In the novel, this particular class is represented by Tomasz ??cki, an impoverished aristocrat who wants to conceal the fact that he had lost his wealth by all means necessary. He tries to keep everyone convinced of his outstanding position and the finery of his name and demands respect for himself and his family. The way he behaves indicates extreme witlessness. He deems upkeeping the facade as the most important thing, even while his estate is being auctioned. The degenerate and inert baron Krzeszowski is rendered similarly, as is the cynical and frivolous Starski. The only positive characters that can be found among the numbers of aristocracy are the prince, who, despite having good ideas, lacks strenght and energy necessary to save the country, and Zaslawska, who pays attention to the deeds, not the birth of a person.Why "The Doll"? The author never disclosed this secret... We shall never know whom or what the titular Doll is supposed to signify. The old salesman Rzecki used to play with dolls in Wokulski's shop. Maybe Prus meant these dolls from the protagonist's shop while entitling his novel? "The Doll" may also be a way of referring to the beautiful Izabela ??cka - beautiful, but empty, mindless. She rejects the true love that Wokulski feels towards her. Her actions are an obvious reflection of her character - of the fact that she is as empty as a doll.

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