Female loneliness in Pestki by Anna Ciarkowska

Abstract

The article analyzes the problem of loneliness in Anna Ciarkowska’s Pestki, presenting the experiences of a woman struggling with alienation resulting from both the inability and the reluctance to fulfill the traditional social roles assigned to women. The fragments of conversations that form the core of the narrative are interpreted as tools for shaping traits and attitudes considered desirable by the surrounding community. Particular attention is given to the protagonist’s process of identity disintegration, which stems from years of being objectified by her mother and grandmother. The analysis focuses on family, peer, and romantic relationships, which reveal various mechanisms of exclusion and social pressure. The text highlights the multidimensional nature of loneliness: while physical loneliness may offer temporary relief and space for self-definition, existential loneliness—arising from a lack of understanding—leads to depression and a sense of meaninglessness. A reading of Pestki indicates that women’s experience of loneliness is shaped by social expectations, gender stereotypes, and generational pressure, while simultaneously remaining an area of reflection and self-discovery.