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Redefining Death in Zero K by Don DeLillo
No full textDon DeLillo’s Zero K (2016) focuses on the possibility of overcoming death through cryonics. The narrative is set primarily in the Convergence—a facility which utilises cryonics to provide its subjects with the possibility of life extension, and a promise of a better life in the future. The result is achieved by removing the subjects’ internal organs and keeping them alive in a state of life suspension, in an attempt to renegotiate the limits of human existence. As his father and stepmother become patients of the Convergence, the protagonist of the novel, Jeff Lockhart, grapples with the questions of life and death. The paper analyses the theme of death in the novel from the posthumanist perspective of Rosi Braidotti’s text “The Ethics of Becoming Imperceptible,” and compares it with the pursuit of immortality highlighted by the transhumanist movement. The secondary purpose of this paper is to investigate how the novel redefines grief by using the framework provided by Monika Rogowska-Stangret’s ethical stance presented in Być ze świata (Being-of-the-World)
All but a Pose? Unlikeable Heroines in Contemporary Fiction by Women
No full textThe present research grows out of an engagement with emerging trends in contemporary fiction by young women authors whose works frequently feature unrelatable and ultimately unlikable female narrators and/or protagonists. Within the framework provided by dissociative feminism and nascent Femcel/Femceldom Studies, I investigate the portrayal in fiction of female protagonists who are young and talented, but who nevertheless struggle with strong self-destructive tendencies. In the first part of the article, devoted to Conversations with Friends (2017) by Sally Rooney and The Lesser Bohemians (2016) by Eimear McBride, I enquire whether the two authors’ young protagonists fall into the trap of repeating their own patterns, or whether they manage to overcome the self-delusion that smart and sensitive types like themselves are prone to wallow in, both physically and mentally. The second part turns to Lisa Taddeo’s and Eliza Clark’s troubled narrators in their respective debuts, Animal (2021) and Boy Parts (2020), offering a comparison of the two novels in terms of their treatment of predatory, cunning, and deceptive female protagonists. In an attempt to dissect the empathy and support gained among readerships by unconventional female protagonists, I also explore the ways in which misogynistic narratives about female depravity are appropriated and reclaimed by female authors who then “recycle” them for their own purposes, daring to challenge the patriarchal order
A Review of Eve Dunbar’s Monstrous Work and Radical Satisfaction (University of Minnesota Press, 2024)
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Zwierzęta w gospodarce społeczności kultury strzyżowskiej – przykład osady w Horodle (stan. 11), pow. hrubieszowski, woj. lubelskie
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to summarize the state of knowledge on the importance of animals in the lives of the communities of the Strzyżów culture living in the Early Bronze Age (2000/1950–1600 BCE) in the eastern part of the Lublin Upland and the south-eastern Volhynian Upland. Both the results of previous analyses of animal bone remains from the settlements of this culture, as well as the results of new archaeological and archaeozoological research carried out at site no. 11 in Horodło have been taken into consideration. The basic form of animal farming was the breeding of domestic species, mainly ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) and, to a lesser extent, pigs. Horses were also used, and their remains were more common and numerous in the settlements located in the eastern part of the Strzyżów culture’s geographical range. To a small extent, livestock farming was supplemented by the hunting of wild mammals (deer, roe deer, wild boar) and birds (garganey, goose) and fishing (pike, carp).
RECEIVED 07.07.2024 • VERIFIED 24.06.2025 • ACCEPTED 21.07.2025
Funding Information: University of Warsaw; Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
Conflicts of interests: None
Ethical Considerations: The Authors assure of no violations of publication ethics and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.
The percentage share of the author in the preparation of the work is: AH 40%, JPM 35%, OS 15%, AM 10%
Declaration regarding the use of GAI tools: not usedCelem pracy jest podsumowanie stanu wiedzy na temat znaczenia zwierząt w życiu społeczności kultury strzyżowskiej zamieszkujących we wczesnej epoce brązu (2000/1950–1600 p.n.e.) obszary wschodniej części Wyżyny Lubelskiej i południowo-wschodniej Wyżyny Wołyńskiej. Uwzględniono dotychczasowe wyniki analiz zwierzęcych szczątków kostnych z osad tej kultury, jak również zaprezentowano wyniki nowych badań archeologicznych i archeozoologicznych przeprowadzonych na stanowisku nr 11 w Horodle. Podstawą gospodarowania zwierzętami była hodowla gatunków domowych, głównie zwierząt przeżuwających (bydło, owca i koza), w mniejszym stopniu świni. Użytkowano także konie, których szczątki częściej i liczniej występowały na osadach zlokalizowanych we wschodniej części zasięgu kultury strzyżowskiej. W niewielkim stopniu hodowlę uzupełniano łowiectwem ssaków dzikich (jeleń, sarna, dzik) i ptaków (cyranka, gęś) oraz rybołówstwem (szczupak, ryby z rodziny karpiowatych).
RECEIVED 07.07.2024 • VERIFIED 24.06.2025 • ACCEPTED 21.07.2025
Funding Information: University of Warsaw; Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
Conflicts of interests: None
Ethical Considerations: The Authors assure of no violations of publication ethics and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.
The percentage share of the author in the preparation of the work is: AH 40%, JPM 35%, OS 15%, AM 10%
Declaration regarding the use of GAI tools: not use
Historia i literatura. Dwie konkurencyjne czy dopełniające się wzajemnie opowieści o przeszłości?
No full textThe relationship between history and literature has long been the subject of debate among both historians and writers. It is worth revisiting this discussion today, at a time when the broadly understood past – in its many forms – not only continues to be the subject of academic study but also holds a prominent place in public discourse and mass culture. In most cases, the past returns to us in the form of memory – a key term that encapsulates both the hopes and anxieties tied to its presence in our lives. The enduring “memory boom,” sometimes referred to as the “revenge of memory” against the long-dominant narrative of official history, legitimised by its claim to scientific objectivity, prompts us to once again consider the differences in how the past is perceived by history and by literature.
To put it simply, there are two fundamental ways in which we have sought to deal with the good and bad history that has surrounded us for centuries: one offered by historiography, the other by literature.
The essential difference between these two narratives lies in what we might call common sense. The world of historical narrative concerns events that actually occurred – or, depending on one’s epistemological stance, events that should or could have happened. In contrast, literary narrative belongs to the realm of fiction, even when it draws on real historical facts. In this context, the distinction between fiction and non-fiction becomes foundational.
Contemporary historiography increasingly departs from the classical, or correspondence, theory of truth, derived from Aristotle. This is not to say that there are no longer many historians who still subscribe to this traditional view. However, scholars are now more inclined to adopt non-classical definitions of truth – those grounded either in scholarly consensus or in the principle of coherence with existing knowledge.
This shift has led to growing acceptance – once seen as heretical – of the idea of plural truths in historical writing: the belief that history is just like the historian writing about it. In this light, much attention has been paid to the many non-scientific factors that shape a historian’s work: the culture in which they were raised, their personal value system, political leanings, and so forth. An increasingly popular view holds that historical truth is largely a construct – extracted from the available evidence and shaped according to the professional rules of the craft. It is a truth rooted in selection and responsibility, and thus it carries an ethical dimension.
The dualism between these two narratives of the past is a natural phenomenon that we should accept. Yet this does not mean that the two discourses should be equated or treated as interchangeable. We should resist such conflation, not only to defend the value of scientific knowledge – which is being increasingly called into question – but also for ethical reasons. From this perspective, one may provocatively repeat a thesis that has long accompanied me: “history is the most difficult way to write fiction”.
RECEIVED 20.05.2025 • VERIFIED 24.07.2025 • ACCEPTED 25.07.2025
Funding Information: University of Lodz
Conflicts of interests: None
Ethical Considerations: The Authors assure of no violations of publication ethics and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.
The percentage share of the author in the preparation of the work is: R.S. 100%
Declaration regarding the use of GAI tools: not used Wzajemne związki między historią i literaturą były wielokrotnie przedmiotem rozważań zarówno dziejopisów, jak i pisarzy. Warto do nich wrócić dziś, kiedy szeroko rozumiana przeszłość pod różnymi postaciami jest nie tylko przedmiotem profesjonalnych studiów, ale także zajmuje istotne miejsce w dyskursie publicznym czy kulturze masowej. Najczęściej wraca ona do nas pod postacią pamięci, tego słowa klucza, kumulującego w sobie nadzieje i zagrożenia związane z obecnością przeszłości w naszym życiu. Trwający od dłuższego czasu pamięciowy boom, określany niekiedy mianem „rewanżu pamięci” wobec dominującego przez lata obrazu oficjalnej historii, usankcjonowanego jej pretensjami do naukowości, prowokuje do zadania po raz kolejny pytania o różnice w postrzeganiu przeszłości przez historię i literaturę.
W pewnym uproszczeniu można powiedzieć, że istnieją zasadnicze dwa sposoby, przy pomocy których od stuleci próbujemy sobie radzić z otaczającą nas złą i dobrą historią. Pierwszy z nich proponuje historiografia, drugi literatura.
Zasadnicza różnica między obiema opowieściami ma charakter zdroworozsądkowy. W świecie narracji historycznej mieszczą się wydarzenia, które się wydarzyły lub według takich czy innych domniemań wydarzyć się miały albo mogły. W narracji literackiej stanowią one domenę zmyślenia, nawet wtedy, kiedy nawiązują do rzeczywistych faktów dziejowych. W tym kontekście przeciwstawienie fikcji i nie-fikcji ma znaczenie konstytutywne.
Współczesna historiografia coraz rzadziej odwołuje się do klasycznej, zwanej inaczej korespondencyjną, definicji prawdy, rodem z Arystotelesa, co nie znaczy, że w środowisku historyków wciąż nie można znaleźć wielu jej zwolenników. Częściej jednak badacze gotowi są zaakceptować nieklasyczne definicje prawdy. Odwołują się one albo do idei konsensusu badaczy bądź też do zasady niesprzeczności z istniejącą wiedzą.
W powszechnej świadomości środowiska historyków otwiera się więc furtka dla heretycko brzmiącej jeszcze nie tak dawno tezy o pluralizmie prawd. Przekonania, że historia jest taka, jak piszący o niej historyk. W tym kontekście zwraca się uwagę na rozliczne, pozanaukowe uwarunkowania pracy dziejopisa – kulturę, w której został wychowany, reprezentowany przezeń system wartości, polityczne sympatie itp. Coraz więcej zwolenników zdaje się zdobywać pogląd, że prawda jest w dużej mierze konstrukcją historyka, wydobytą z dostępnych świadectw, tworzoną na podstawie obowiązujących w cechu reguł warsztatu historycznego oraz, że łączy się ona z wyborem, odpowiedzialnością, ma zatem wymiar etyczny.
Analizowany dualizm obu opowieści o przeszłości jest czymś naturalnym, z czym powinniśmy się pogodzić. Nie oznacza to jednak zgody na utożsamianie ze sobą obu dyskursów czy dowolne ich zastępowanie. Powinniśmy się temu sprzeciwiać w imię nie tylko obrony podważanego obecnie coraz częściej waloru wiedzy naukowej, ale także z przyczyn etycznych. Z tego punktu widzenia można więc nieco prowokacyjnie powtórzyć zasygnalizowaną, towarzyszącą mi tezę, że „historia jest najtrudniejszym sposobem pisania fikcji”.
RECEIVED 20.05.2025 • VERIFIED 24.07.2025 • ACCEPTED 25.07.2025
Funding Information: University of Lodz
Conflicts of interests: None
Ethical Considerations: The Authors assure of no violations of publication ethics and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.
The percentage share of the author in the preparation of the work is: R.S. 100%
Declaration regarding the use of GAI tools: not used
The outermost regions of the European Union: From the beginning to the present
No full textThe main objective of this article is to analyse the concept of the outermost regions, which, on the one hand, correspond to areas of the EU located at great distances from Europe and, on the other, promote a positive discrimination between regions by granting specific economic benefits. A literature review and analysis of socio-economic data are the main methods used to achieve the proposed objectives. The research focused on the legal evolution of the ORs in the EU Treaties, the development support programmes under European cohesion policy, and the main indicators that make it possible to characterise the current economic and social situation of these remote areas. From this type of analysis, it was possible to see that the majority of the ORs are still far from the average values of the EU-27, both economically and in terms of the standard of living of their inhabitants, despite the substantial progress that has been made over the last 30 years, as a result of an increasingly consolidated outermost status in European politics
CPLP of the Sea: Towards a Lusophone Maritime Spatial Data Infrastructure (LMSDI)
No full textThis article explores the potential of a Lusophone Maritime Spatial Data Infrastructure (LMSDI) to enhance geospatial cooperation among Portuguese-speaking countries. Grounded in bibliographic and documentary analysis, the study examines how shared oceanic heritage and spatial data interoperability can support marine governance across the CPLP. It proposes the development of a Lusophone Geoportal for monitoring Exclusive Economic Zones, promoting environmental enforcement, and advancing the blue economy through digital integration and multilateral collaboration
At the bottom and top of the educational system: Spatial patterns of highest educational attainment based on the Hungarian census of 2022
No full textThis study examines the spatial patterns of educational attainment in Hungary using settlement-level data from the 2022 census, focusing on individuals with at most lower secondary (ISCED 0–2) and tertiary education (ISCED 5–8). A two-stage analysis – bivariate choropleth map-ping and Optimised Hot Spot Analysis – revealed pronounced regional inequalities. A comparison of the 2011 and 2022 census data shows a nationwide decline in low attainment and growth in tertiary education, especially in urban areas. However, peripheral regions remain disadvantaged. These findings highlight the uneven spatial effects of educational expansion, reinforcing the need for territorial-specific education and development policies
Beyond industrial heritage: Reading the future of post-industrial cities: with a review of: Matthew E. KAHN and Mac McCOMAS, Unlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial Cities, Daniel CAMPO, Postindustrial DIY: Recovering American Rust Belt Icons, and Silvia BARBERO and Axel TIMPE (eds), Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Renewal in Post-Industrial Cities
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