Slavonian literature and national literary history - regionalism and national identity

Ustanovivši specifičnu poziciju tzv. “slavonske” u kontekstu povijesti hrvatske književnosti, u članku se razmatraju historijski, politički, kulturološki i poetološki uvjeti i posljedice njihova sup(r)o(t)stavljanja. Uzimajući u obzir i njezinu tradiciju u 18. stoljeću, kao i kasnije (proto)realističke i modernističke tijekove, u fokusu je posebno slavonska književnost 30-ih i 40-ih godina 19. stoljeća za koju se zaključuje da je jednim dijelom pratila dominantne preporodne trendove dok im se drugim dijelom postavljala kao stanovita alternativna ili kritička opcija. Naposljetku se, promišljajući o relacijama hrvatskoga nacionalnog identiteta te pojedinih njegovih regionalnih sastavnica, evidentnima i u književnosti, predlaže moguća perspektiva postojećim izučavanjima tih fenomena. Po uzoru na tzv. modernističke i postmodernističke teorije nacije i nacionalizma, a s osloncem na Bourdieuova teorijska promišljanja o performativnim funkcijama jezika u proizvodnji granica kojima se ustanovljuju regionalni identiteti, ustvrđuje se kako bi se dosadašnja književnopovijesna istraživanja tzv. regionalizma hrvatske književnosti kao samorazumljivoga odraza regionalne nacionalne heterogenosti mogla zamijeniti čitanjima takve vrste književnosti, ali i njezinih metaknjiževnih prikaza, kao (re)generatora regionalizama i regionalnih identiteta.The article discusses the somewhat specific treatment of the so-called “Slavonian” literature in the context of the history of Croatian literature, trying to establish the historical, political, cultural and poetological conditions and consequences of such a dichotomy between the regional and the national. Taking into consideration both the 18th century tradition, as well as the later, (proto)realistic and modernist periods of Slavonian literature, the article focuses in particular on the literary production of the 1830ies and 1840ies, which, while following to a certain extent the dominant literary programme of the Croatian National Revival, simultaneously presented itself as a possible alternative or a critical option to it. In conclusion, a possible perspective is suggested for the future study of the various relations of Croatian national identity and its regional components, which should also include their reflection in literature. Following the socalled modernist and postmodernist theories of nation and nationalism, as well as P. Bourdieu’s theoretical reflections on the performative functions of language in the production of borderlines used to establish regional identities, it is suggested that the previous literary-historical research of the so-called regionalism of Croatian literature, which viewed it as a “natural” reflection of regional national heterogeneity, could be replaced by an approach which would view such forms of literature, as well as their metaliterary representations, as (re)generators of regionalisms and regional identities