...And I vow to you hate, despair and pain – violence in marriage in Mieczysław Srokowski’s novel Ich tajemnica

Abstract

In this article, I attempt to analyze the motif of marital violence shown in Mieczysław Srokowski’s modernist novel Their Secret, paying attention to the deeply rooted social and psychological aspects of this phenomenon. In the first part of the article, I present the issue of violence, focus on the tyranny and aggression shown, briefly describe their causes, and also present a biographical outline of the author of the novel in question. The main part of the article refers to the analysis and interpretation of the characters' behavior, as well as a psychological exploration of the phenomenon of violence, which reveals to the reader the complexity of marital relations in a world dominated by men. I discuss the important motif of the fatal man appearing in the novel and reveal how man was trapped in social expectations that often led to growing conflict and aggression. In the final part of the article, I emphasize that modernist novels were not only mirrors of social realities, but also a tool for reflection on the nature of violence in marriage and its impact on individuals. This article is a source of reflection on the role of society in shaping gender identity and the construction of marriage in the era of modernism.