“Green Reading” by Bolesław Prus’s The Doll in the Perspective of Climate Education

Abstract

This article attempts to interpret Bolesław Prus’s The Doll in the context of climate education. The authors focus on two episodes from the novel: the creation of the store space as the birthplace of modern consumerism, and Wokulski’s journey through Powiśle, inhabited by the poorest members of society. The dominant research method in the text is Rob Nixon’s "ecology of the poor", according to which the marginalized residents of Powiśle are victims of “slow violence,” the effects of which are deferred in time and space. This form of violence is almost elusive, as its victims are poor, anonymous, and often rejected by society. The juxtaposition of these two episodes from the novel reveals a pessimistic picture of Polish society, in which the gap between rich and poor is widening. Developing industry fuels the production of new products, luring new consumers. Meanwhile, the poorest are deprived of access to healthcare and grapple with homelessness.