Riddles of stereotypes

Straipsnyje analizuojama Antrojo pasaulinio karo metų oficialiosios spaudos tekstų retorika, lingvistines konstrukcijos, bandant nustatyti stereotipų apie žydus formavimo 1940-1942 metų Lietuvoje ir Prancūzijoje ypatumus. Tekstai yra viena tų vietų, kur stereotipai formuojami, legitimuojami, šlifuojami, įsavinami. Straipsnyje tiriama kokiomis retorinėmis figūromis ir įvaizdžiais dviem skirtingos raidos fazes pasiekusioms visuomenėms buvo pristatomos žydų bendruomenės. Laiko juostoje nutarimai prieš žydus išsidėstę skirtingai. Prancūzijoje žydams pirmiausia imtos riboti jų pilietinės teisės, tuo tarpu Lietuvoje šios teisės buvo tiesiog atimtos, įsakyta apsigyventi atskirose teritorijose - getuose ir nešioti skiriamuosius ženklus - Dovydo žvaigždes. Tad Lietuvoje nuosprendis buvo mestas iš karto, o Prancūzijoje žydai iš visuomenės eliminuoti pamažu. Žydų "kaltės įrodymų" srityje galima fiksuoti tiek panašumų, tiek skirtumų. Abiejose šalyse žydai priešiški Lietuvos ar Prancūzijos valstybingumui, lietuvių ar prancūzų aspiracijoms. Aktyviai dalyvaudami finansiniame gyvenime, jie apiplėšinėję lietuvius ar prancūzus. Jie kalti dėl valstybingumo praradimo. Prancūzijoje žydai pasirodo kaip intrigantai ir kenkėjai, Anglijos rėmėjai, masonai ar golistai. Lietuvoje 1941 metais daug dėmesio skiriama čionykščiams žydams, vėliau imama daugiau rašyti apie europinius procesus, žydų padėtį svetur. Krinta į akis bandymai rodyti Lietuvą susipratusia, įvedančia "naująją tvarką" ir pan. Žydai čia pirmiausia yra bolševikų rėmėjai.The paper focuses on the comparison between the Lithuanian and French discourses of the press. This work compares the texts which are related with the descriptions of the Jews' positions in 1940-1942 and pays special attention to the question why the positions of governments are formulated in a particular way. In addition, the attempt is made to answer the following questions: Were there any differences and resemblances between the Lithuanian and the French discourses? What kind of phraseology for stigmatising decisions was used? Finally, the author tries to show a contradiction between the components of anti-Jewish stereotypes in Lithuania and in France. The main sources for the article are all the most popular Lithuanian newspapers in the period of 1941-1942 (because at the beginning of 1940 Lithuania was still independent, and after the 15th of June, 1940, the state was occupied by Soviet troops) and three French newspapers: "Je suis partout" (representing the French variant of Nazism), "Les Temps Nouveaux" (representing the occupied part of France) and "L'Action Francaise" (representing the regime of Vichy). Preference is given to the French sources. After a brief overview of historiography and literature concerning stereotypes in the first part of the article, the paper examines how the position of the Jews was defined - what kind of person should be treated like a Jew. The rest parts of the work deal with constructing of a new mythology. For instance, the second part discusses the accusations of the Jews for economical exploitation of the Lithuanians as well as the Frenchmen. The third part discuses another stereotype - the Jews guilt for the collapse of France and Lithuania as independent states. Finally, the fourth part of the paper analyses the establishment of "the new order" (the state without Jews) and the disclosure of the "terrible" Jewish morality. Both in Lithuania and in France similar stigmatising rhetoric was used. However, in France elimination of Jews was carried out gradually: first by restricting their citizen rights, then by totally separating them from the society. In Lithuania articles in newspapers at once proclaimed not only the restriction of the Jews' civil rights, but also their elimination from the society. The most open texts were written in the occupied part of France where the opposition to Jews was shown directly in the texts or even in the titles. Yet, in Lithuania, as well as in a non-occupied part of France, Vichy France, oppositions were partially masked, the title could be neutral, however the content was terrifying. In Lithuania, the stereotypes included more negative and even cruel information; still they were more contradictory in comparison with the ones found in the French pres