The Peasant (Sedliak)

Abstract

About the Author: František Švantner (1912–1950) was born in Bystrá in the Slovakian mountains Low Tatras. His works were often inspired by the highland region of the upper Hron river dominated by the peaks of Ďumbier and Chopok. His father was a railway worker. Švantner graduated from the Teaching Institute and taught at schools near his birthplace. After the war, he worked in Matica slovenská and film studio in Banská Bystrica. He died prematurely of a brain tumour. Švantner’s novels and short stories are considered to be the best works of Slovak literary Naturism (other authors of this were Margita Figuli, Ľubo Ondrejov and Dobroslav Chrobák). Their rudimentary characters were placed in the settings of a primeval world of nature and mystery, and preferred irrational feelings. Sources of Naturism were folk magic tales, ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche or Henri Bergson and French regionalists (Giono, Ramuz, Pourrat). These works often stressed elementary narrative situations such as sensual love, friendship, fighting as well as death.