Slovenska Literatura (Dec 2011)
Some of Stanislav Rakús’s early magazine works: comments on the interpretation of his literary texts from the period 1963 - 1976
Abstract
This article builds on reading short proses written by Stanislav Rakús only published in magazines, e.g. literary magazines Slovenské pohľady, Mladá tvorba, Matičné čítanie, between 1963 and 1976. His early works include nine almost unknown proses (and one poem) which give the background to studying poetological aspects of the text, e.g. narrative strategies, metamorphoses of the character-outsider, the relationship between the high and the low, the motif of death, the short story pattern etc. One of the primary levels of meanings in Rakús´s early short stories is oscillation between allegorical depiction of an enclosed system (totality) and absurd climax of a story. In this respect many structural similarities can be found between Rakús´s proses and debuting Dušan Mitana´s absurd short stories, mostly in terms of composition, character-outsider variety and narrative strategy. Two exceptions to Rakús´s absurd short proses are stories Matej Uriáš and Kosti (Bones) both set in fantastical-mythical enviroment, which make it hard for the reader to reconstruct the thematic background. The author uses allegorical techniques to expand and destroy the personality cult. He does not depict a particular period of history, but openly speaks of human conformity, cowardice as well as inability to face the evil, that is the qualities which are universal and timeless.
