Such Will Be the Chinese
The Portrayal of China in Anna Lewicka’s Pre-War Youth Books
Abstract
In her novel Danusia i Chińczycy (Danusia and the Chinese) (1932), Anna Lewicka presents a selectively exotic and often ahistorical depiction of China. The descriptions reflect not the interwar period but rather the late 19th century. Analysis reveals that Lewicka based her portrayals on her 1894 publications, which were derived from French and American sources intended for readers more familiar with the Far East than Polish audiences. Although Lewicka adapted these texts to make them less “foreign” and more engaging, she still described the world of 19th-century imperial China when referring to the Chinese Republic of the 1930s in her later works. The modernization of certain facts suggests that these historical inaccuracies were not merely oversight but rather a deliberate adherence to the myth of an “unchanging, eternal China.”
Copyright (c) 2024 Ignatianum University in Cracow
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The Yearbook only accepts materials for publication that are free of all conflicts of interest, and that in no way involve conflicts over authorship, copyright, etc. The Editors will take action against any cases of plagiarizing, ghostwriting1, guest/honorary authorship2, etc. Where co-authored work is concerned, the Author listed first is expected to take responsibility for the submission, and is required to make clear the contributions of all of the Co-Authors involved. In the event of the publication owing its existence to funding dedicated to this purpose, this fact should be made clear: e.g. in any note of thanks/acknowledgement, or in a footnote, etc. Explicit notification should be given of any form of reprinting, with the appropriate evidence of permission to publish being furnished as required. Any impropriety on the part of Authors/Reviewers risks exposing them to appropriate responses from the relevant institutions.
______
1 This term refers to instances of a person who has made an essential contribution being omitted from the list of authors, or from notes conveying gratitude and/or acknowledgement.
2 This occurs when a person who has made either an insignificant contribution or no contribution at all nevertheless appears on the list of authors.
