Grynberg, «The Jewish Theme in Polish Postivism.»

The Jewish Question in Poland was primarily not a jewish question, but a Polish one. 49 Anti - Semitism grew into a romantic vision of assimilation, but this proves also to be a vision. Then it became a steadily increasing tide of resistance for economic and psychological reasons. 49 The P period was the first real explosion of anti-semitism although it fought for greater education and work. It was more of a literary movement in Poland than it was a philosophical one. 49 Teh press was mostly negative although the lit painted Jews in terms of sympathy. Sometimes this was done by the same author. Swietochowski was one of these. 50 Thsi proved the ambiguity of the question. Jews in Polish lit were shown more than in any other slavic lit, but it shows the artistic needs were better than the artist. 50 Jews were shown as Poles or simply not in their own mileau or nationality. Prus also. 50 Prus did show some of the difficulties of the Jew that assimilated in Lalka. 51 Konpnicka also showed a Jewess' position and what she had to give up. 51 52 Orzezkowka shows jews in business like all other dishonest business men. However she looked more to the enlightened assimliated Jews as proof that they could become more Polish and that the peasnat Jews were just backward. 51 She saw jews keeping their culture as more fanaticism than realistic. 52 Jews had too much ritual overgrowth. 52 The problems she eposes is the backward gentry and the need to change. She sees the same thing for the Jews, but makes them mostly shallow characters. 52 She saw that Poles could learn from the Jews in resilience and patience, but was mostly utilitatian in the needs for the two groups to get along. 54 She doesn't quote the Talmund very accurately and mistakes the jewish rituals. 55 The first disappointment in jewish Question was the Pogrom in 1881, the second was jewish nationalism and zionism that she met in assimilated Jews. 56 She calls Yiddish Jargon. 56 She calls for a greater understanding of Jews and that they should not be expected to become something they are not as the Poles cannot either, however she warns against adopting a foreign culture for the Poles. 56 She sees the Jews as not an ethnic group or a race, but just a religious group. 56 She writes about the disappointment in assimilated Jews choosing not Polish, but presumably russian culture as the one they assimilate to. 57 The P movement to assimilate Jews failed and was destined to fail becasue they didn;t understand Jews. She still was probably the best friend that Jews had in world lit at that time and Jews did aid and still do Polish culture. 57