The New Woman

The New Woman (Polish: Emancypantki) is the third of four major novels by the Polish writer Bolesław Prus. It was composed, and appeared in newspaper serialization, in 1890-93, and dealt with societal questions involving feminism.^[1]

History

The New Woman, written in 1890–93, first appeared serially in the Warsaw Kurier Codzienny (Daily Courier). Its first book publication followed in 1894.^[2]

Plot

The novel takes place in late-1800s Warsaw in the small fictional settlement of Iksinów. The main character is Magdalena Brzeska, who attends a progressive boarding school for girls run by forward-thinking schoolmistress Emma Latter. Magdalena later, as an adult, establishes her own girls' boarding school to continue sharing progressive ideas with future generations of students.

The novel's central ideas focus on the changing role of women in society and on their desire for independence.

Characters

Main

Magdalena Brzeska - The central character of the story, Magdalena is a soft-hearted, religious woman from a conservative middle-class family that values education, but still expects Magdalena to focus on marrying into good family. As a child she attended Ms. Latter's boarding school, and is inspired by her progressive teachings to consider her own ambitions and desires. However, familial and societal expectations clash with Magdalena's desire for self-sufficiency and independence. She is a teacher at Ms. Latter's school, but later opens her own boarding school for girls and formally pursue a career in education.
Emma Latter - The forward-thinking schoolmistress who runs the boarding school Magdalena attends as a child and works at as an adult. She is considered a widow, and has two children, Helena and Kazimierz, from her first marriage. She provides young Magdalena a strong education and emotional support as the young woman navigates conservative society and traditional gender roles, and her support has a significant impact on Magdalena's ambitions and perspectives into adulthood. Ms. Latter's school teachings emphasize female empowerment and independence, concepts considered novel for the era. As expected, she faces criticism and scrutiny from conservative members of society, and often struggles to maintain funding for her school. The stress eventually takes a toll on her health, and, along with an increase in criticism and a decline in funding, she is forced to close her school. However her teachings continue to be passed on to future generations by her former students, like Magdalena.
Ada Solska - A rich orphan who resides at Ms. Latter's boarding school even though she has already graduated. She loves science and provides Ms. Latter's school with her personal collection of lab equipment for use. She is very close with her older brother Stefan. Unlike Stefan, Ada has always been aware of the societal struggles of women, and often clashes with her extended family regarding her future and desire for independence. Ada is uninterested in living a domestic life, and instead pursues a career in education. She openly supports many feminist initiatives, and advocates for education reforms geared towards the empowerment of female students. Her best friend is Helena.
Stefan Solski - Ada's older brother who travels a lot and is initially ignorant of the societal issues around him. He becomes aware of the struggles of those around him after meeting Magdalena, and eventually becomes a supporter of women's rights. Although he has mutual respect for Magdalena, their class differences and societal expectations cause tensions in their relationship, and Magdalena rejects his marriage proposal near the end of the novel.
Helena Norska - Emma's beautiful daughter from her first husband and Ada's friend who shares her progressive views. Helena is a strong source of support for Ada throughout the novel, and often clashes with her brother Kazimierz regarding his conservative views about women's roles in society. She has a gentle sibling rivalry with Kazimierz due to the amount of freedom and financial support Ms. Latter gives him due to his gender.
Kazimierz Norski - Emma's handsome son from her first marriage and Helena's brother who is not fond of Helena nor Ada's progressive views, and is initially dismissive towards Ada. Over time however, he comes to respect her for her determination and intelligence, and eventually falls in love with her and views her on an equal level as him. He is bright and ambitious, but his ambitions are somewhat held back by his mother's financial struggles.

Film

In 1982, the novel was adapted as a Polish feature film, Pensja Pani Latter (Mrs. Latter's Boarding School).

Notes

^ Edward Pieścikowski, Bolesław Prus, p. 155.
^ Edward Pieścikowski, Bolesław Prus, pp. 155, 157.

References

Czesław Miłosz, The History of Polish Literature, New York, Macmillan, 1969.
Edward Pieścikowski, Bolesław Prus, 2nd edition, Warsaw, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1985.
Zygmunt Szweykowski, Twórczość Bolesława Prusa (The Art of Bolesław Prus), 2nd edition, Warsaw, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1972.