Stefan Żeromski’s History of Sin in the Mirror of Maladic Discourse

Abstract

This article is devoted to an attempt to read the fate of Ewa Pobratyńska from the maladic perspective. The story of the heroine of History of Sin is in many respects similar to the Adele syndrome, defined by psychologists as a delusional-obsessive disorder. Its name is closely related to a historical figure – Adele Hugo, the daughter of a famous writer, who was abandoned by her beloved man, as a result of which she became obsessed with him. In the novel, Żeromski records the stages of the development of the disease, drawing attention to somatic complaints that are a consequence of extreme emotions (from euphoria to depression). Along with her lost love, Pobratyńska idealises the man. Like people with Adele syndrome, she follows in the footsteps of her beloved, falling into self-destruction. The heroine loses control over her own life, which becomes the beginning of the disintegration of her identity.