”I had the strangest dream…”. Arte e amore in dreamlike notes of Gustaw Herling-Grudziński’s Dziennik 1957–1958.

Marzena Woźniak-Łabieniec

(Uniwersytet Łódzki)
E-mail: marzena.wozniak[at]uni.lodz.pl
ORCID: 0000-0003-3280-1411
DOI: 10.31261/FLPI.2021.03.03
„Fabrica Litterarum Polono-Italica” 2021, nr 1, s. 33-44

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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss dreamlike themes of Gustaw Herling‑ Grudziński’s Diary 1957–1958. The dream descriptions reveal the part of the writer’s spiritual biography that comes to the fore from the subconscious. Sleep plays an important role in showing the deepest emotions and mental states of the speaking subject. The dream records reveal more than the author tells about himself directly. They help to interpret the subject’s hidden emotions, his state of mind, reveal repressed psychological contents, a result of painful personal experiences. They relate to the most important topics for the writer, such as artistic creativity (inspiration and the process of creating a work) and love to Krystyna, his first wife.