THE TRAUMA OF WAR IN ANDRZEJ STASIUK’S TRAVELOGUES

In Andrzej Stasiuk narrative and travel writing, war emerges as a dominant and recurring motif. It takes on the form of a true myth, in which fear and desire, rejection and fascination, past and present are inextricably intertwined. This study aims to analyse the Polish author’s travel writing in the light of this issue and demonstrate how this war mythology emerges in his representation of the cultural landscape and his reflection on the boundaries of European space. The thesis argues that Stasiuk’s myth of war is fueled by a paradoxical identity trauma, rooted not only in the writer’s family history but also in the very way Poles perceive themselves and their past. The study will thus illustrate how the theme of war, initially a youthful and masculine myth, becomes instrumental in reflecting on Polish identity.