Popiół, zbabělci i diament

Abstract

This articles compares the characters of Maciek from Jerzy Andrzejewski’s "Ashes and Diamonds" and Danny from the novel "The Cowards" by Josef Škvorecký. Indeed, the two main characters are similar in behavior and evolution, despite the fact that the two novels are fundamentally different stylistically. However, the two books share one common theme: the last days of World War II in Central Europe. The analysis is divided into three parts. First, the authors’ historical, national, and bibliographical contexts are analyzed with the aim of identifying their and their novels’ situation and impact on their time and respective societies. Then, a comparison of the two novels from the point of view of style and literary genre is made to establish what differentiates them. Finally, the author of this article compares the characters of Maciek and Danny, especially their evolution and behavior, in reference to the concepts of the Peter Pan syndrome and the phenomenological theory of war from the so-called “sixth heretical essay” of the Czech philosopher Jan Patočka. Finally, the conclusion of the article shows that through these characters, the same phenomenon of self-alienation is rendered perceptible for the younger generation at the historic turning point of the end of World War II in Central Europe.