Bobo
| Collection | Biblioteka Narodowa |
| Description | "Bobo" was only published once during Korczak's own lifetime, in 1914 together with two other works: "Feralny tydzień" and "Spowiedź motyla". The choice and arrangement of texts published in book format were premeditated – Bobo covers the earliest period in a child's life, "Feralny tydzień" then covers high school experiences, and "Spowiedź motyla" describes the period of puberty and maturation. Bobo is a short novel starting at infancy and then the time of earliest infant development. In these little stories, at times poetic and at others more realistic, Korczak shows how children perceive the world around them, what they desire and how they learn, attempting to make readers more aware of how children's behaviours often have additional meanings to those we initially attach to them. He often stresses the notion that children not only play, but in playing work hard to discover the world around them. These efforts are deserving of the greatest respect and admiration. Bobo was written around 1911, inspired by a year-long period Korczak spent studying in Berlin (1907/1908). There are similarities between Bobo and the article Assistance with techniques of examining infant children published in Przegląd Pediatryczny in 1911. Some parts of the novel echo those of the article, while "Feralny tydzień" is another work added to this volume. The novel describes the school experiences of Staś Przemyski, for whom school is a place where he feels humiliated, alienated and frequently frightened. He is unable to fit into the school environment, and attempts to change this fact end in fiasco. The key theme of "Feralny tydzień" is the ways in which Russian schools were organised. The oppressive character of these institutions was a force which imprinted itself on the lives of those unfortunate enough to study in them. "Feralny tydzień" was first published in 1906 in Przegląd Społeczny magazine. "Spowiedź motyla" was the last novel published in Bobo and covers the period of puberty experienced by a teenage student of a gymnasium which was still run by Russians at the time. The novel is written in the form of an intimate journal, and was probably based on a now lost diary Korczak himself kept during his formative years. The protagonist of "Spowiedź motyla" describes themes such as: love, sexuality, school, politics, creativity, personal development, the meaning of life itself. During Korczak's lifetime, "Spowiedź motyla" was published only once, in the volume titled Bobo. |
| Creator | Korczak, Janusz |
| Publisher | Warszawa : Kraków : G. Centnerszwer ; S. A. Krzyżanowski |
| Date | 1914 |
| Rights | Domena Publiczna |
| Format | image/jpg |
| Language | pol |
| Identifier | 1.460.846 A |
| Type | publikacja |
From the collection of: Biblioteka Narodowa
