In the Mud of Dreams and Reality. Autobiographical Features in Prose Fiction of Pavel Růžek and Jerzy Pilch

The present thesis explores works of Pavel Růžek and Jerzy Pilch, its central focus being the analysis and interpretation of their approach towards one's own biography and one's identity as a writer. Although both authors come from the same generation, they address different literary traditions and construct different poetics. What they have in common, however, are literary motifs rooted in their biographies, such as alcoholism, the mythology of childhood, [the existence of] "fateful places," even particular types of women or other characters (including animals). Additionally, the thesis scrutinises the position of both writers in the consciousness of Polish and Czech readership along with their place on the two literary markets