False fables

After the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, a new generation of young writers born after 1960 emerged in Polish literature. Natasza Goerke (1962-), a Polish writer living in Hamburg since 1985, is regarded as one of the representative writers of this generation. Today, her literary works are considered a part of Polish postmodern literature. Her first work, a collection of short stories entitled Fractale (1994), has been referred to in various discussions on literary tendencies in the post-communist era. This paper aims to discuss this work from a historical perspective and demonstrate that it not only stimulated culture criticisms in the 1990s but also challenged such discourses. The following features of this work have been highlighted so far: absurdity, expanding images, emptiness, grotesque humor, non-epic language, allegory, the apparent luck of a point, parody of stereotypes, etc. These features playfully shake the structure of a linear narrative and create confusion in the readers\u27minds. The first important aspect in this regard is non-epic language, which characterizes Goerke\u27s narrative. It expands images, interrupts a logical connection, and confuses the readers. Examining two stories written in an allegorical style, I highlighted the literary behavior of the language and clarified that the misleading suggestion of metaphysical themes like \u27happiness\u27and \u27dreams\u27plays a vital role in her work. Next, exploring a story in which two individuals with different cultural backgrounds sometimes openly exhibits stereotypical images of others. The language and behavior of these two individuals seem to be manifestations of their social and cultural norms, underscoring the differences between them. However, this is merely a mistaken interpretation. In this manner, Goerke engages in a parodic play through the recognition of differences. It is important to emphasize that Goerke\u27s narrative technique has critical character regarding the trends of Polish literature in the 1990s. Against the background of iconoclastic tendency, the high popularity of meta-fictional literature and glorification of postmodern aesthetics such as difference, Goerke testified the overwhelming charm of allegory and established a new form of representing radical change in Polish literature after the end of communism.論