“It is beyond human power”… The characters of The Peasants by Władysław Stanisław Reymont in the face of existential issues. A pars pro toto reading project

Abstract

Starting from an analysis of the actual status of The Peasants by W.S. Reymont as a novel traditionally included in high school curricula, the author presents a comprehensive reading project focused on a selected fragment of the work. This project is structured around the love triangle between Antek, Jagna, and Maciej, and thus around fundamental dilemmas of humanity. The article explains the rationale behind the proposed reading strategy, outlines its philosophical assumptions and principles for designing such educational projects, and discusses the criteria for selecting fragments from extensive literary classics and constructing their contextual framework. Through an analysis and interpretation of a chosen excerpt, the article demonstrates the stages of designing school-based reflection on issues of “longue durée” and those belonging to the “canon of universal problems”, and, consequently, the principles of school reading. The solutions presented exemplify a concept of humanistic and anthropological education advocated by the author and validated through practice – an approach focused on the subjectivity/agency of both learners and teachers.