"Chasuble" - Telling the Story of the Thaw

Abstract

The article presents an interpretation of the problem of social advancement in the short story Chasuble from Róża Ostrowska’s debut collection Premiere (1956). The author of the essay discusses the various attitudes of the inhabitants of a provincial Pomeranian town towards the gradual changes taking place in the period preceding the political thaw of the Polish October. he analysis of the psychosocial consequences of political changes focuses on the example of complex relationships between the main character and a hostile community. She also evokes the autobiographical references of the story and reconstructs in detail the topography of the town portrayed by the writer. The article shows how the subject matter of the Chasuble stems from Ostrowska’s experience as a reporter and publicist, and also indicates how the compositional arrangement of the story refers to selected Shakespeare's plays, making us realize how important the interest in theatre was for the author of Island.