Masculinity in reverse. On the creation of heroes in Primeval and Other Times by Olga Tokarczuk

Abstract

This article discusses the depreciation of masculinity in the 20th century by using the example of the creation of male protagonists in Olga Tokarczuk’s novel Prawiek i inne czasy (Primeval and Other Times). The author introduces the issue by describing the civilisational and moral changes at the beginning of the 20th century. He points to the disruptions in the patriarchal world order that resulted from political events such as world wars and emancipation movements. The analyses demonstrate that Tokarczuk’s novel features many male characters who represent variant types of nonhegemonic masculinity. They withdraw from the social roles assigned to them by tradition. The researcher analyses examples of weak, mutilated, degenerated, and degenerate masculinity, often subordinated. Furthermore, he notes that the creations of the male protagonists in the novel under analysis are misandrist in their descriptive parts.