Summary
This article explores Olga Tokarczuk’s historical novel The Books of Jacob as a feminist narrative that challenges established memory regimes in Poland and East-Central Europe. I argue that Tokarczuk’s ex-centric storytelling approach, emphasizing a “micro-history approach,” offers an alternative perspective on the Jewish past by foregrounding strong female figures and depicting violence against Jewish women. This ex-centric perspective, as Tokarczuk defines it, involves consciously leaving the center to reveal overlooked aspects of history and memory. The article contends that, despite being fictional, Tokarczuk’s narrative contributes to the creation of new historical truths by transcending androcentric constructions of historiography, thereby bringing marginalized experiences, particularly those of women, to the forefront. Examining archival images alongside the literary text, the article challenges stereotypical depictions of Jewish women, presenting them as strong and present characters. A feminist reading of the novel additionally unveils the hidden tragedies of sexual violence faced by Jewish women. Central to this exploration is the character Yente, who transcends time and space, embodying one of Tokarczuk’s innovative narratological tools. In summary, the analysis of The Books of Jacob demonstrates the potential of fiction to act as a vehicle for alternative narratives which also include uncomfortable historical truths.
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- Themenschwerpunkt / Main Topic: Decentering Polish Memory: Parallax Perspectives on East-Central European Pasts
- Introduction: Parallax Perspectives on Polish Pasts
- Cherishing the memories you have
- Backstories of Commemoration: Memoryscapes of Polish Galicia
- Memory-making and Vampire-hunting: A Hauntological Study of the “Recovered” Pomerania in the 1950s
- City under (re)construction: Architectural narrations as a foundation story of a city with a broken cultural continuity
- “A Larger Realm of Reality”: Jewish Women in Olga Tokarczuk’s The Books of Jacob (2014)
- Weitere Artikel zum Polnischen / Further Articles on Polish
- Zwischen Verfassungspatriotismus und nationalem Trauer-Patriotismus im Polnischen
- Sight, Knowledge, Variety, and Correction: Kasijan Sakovyč’s Perspektywa and Related Book Titles
- Sprachliche Selbstpositionierung auf X unter den Wählern rechtsgerichteter Parteien in Polen und Deutschland im Europawahlkampf 2024
- Buchbesprechung
- Aspektvariation im Polnischen
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- Themenschwerpunkt / Main Topic: Decentering Polish Memory: Parallax Perspectives on East-Central European Pasts
- Introduction: Parallax Perspectives on Polish Pasts
- Cherishing the memories you have
- Backstories of Commemoration: Memoryscapes of Polish Galicia
- Memory-making and Vampire-hunting: A Hauntological Study of the “Recovered” Pomerania in the 1950s
- City under (re)construction: Architectural narrations as a foundation story of a city with a broken cultural continuity
- “A Larger Realm of Reality”: Jewish Women in Olga Tokarczuk’s The Books of Jacob (2014)
- Weitere Artikel zum Polnischen / Further Articles on Polish
- Zwischen Verfassungspatriotismus und nationalem Trauer-Patriotismus im Polnischen
- Sight, Knowledge, Variety, and Correction: Kasijan Sakovyč’s Perspektywa and Related Book Titles
- Sprachliche Selbstpositionierung auf X unter den Wählern rechtsgerichteter Parteien in Polen und Deutschland im Europawahlkampf 2024
- Buchbesprechung
- Aspektvariation im Polnischen