Political games with Roman Bratny’s literary texts in Polish social and cultural magazines of the 1980s

Abstract

The article Political games with literary texts by Roman Bratny in Polish social and cultural magazines of the 1980s (Gry polityczne z tekstami literackimi Romana Bratnego w polskich czasopismach społeczno-kulturalnych z lat osiemdziesiątych XX wieku) is of a literature-specialist and political science character. It also contains the opinion on using literary works by Bratny in the ideological battle conducted by Polish Marxists and related groups against political opposition in the social and cultural weeklies of the 1980s. The battle had various stages. It began with a view to discrediting dissidents and patriotic activists totally, but it finished with conciliatory steps towards them and a proposal of political compromise, beneficial for Marxists though. Reviews of the texts by Bratny, to be found in “government” press, show the process of moderating the government’s attitude to democratic opposition as well as their desire to establish a constructive dialogue in the late stage of the Polish People’s Republic.