Witkiewicz's "Janulka, Daughter of Fizdejko" and the death of the individual

Janulka

Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz -- Janulka

Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz's play "Janulka, Daughter of Fizdejko," is consistently colorful and, at times, disturbing. It was written in 1927, well before the heyday of existensialist theatre and philosophy. Yet, it explores similar themes regarding the meaninglessness of modern man's existence, doing so through the juxtaposition of history. However, what Witkiewicz thinks of as history is really just the amalgamation of literary archetypes from the past, making his satire ultimately uncompelling.

Philosophy

As a philosopher, Witkiewicz could be considered a nihilist and a Monadist in the tradition of Leibniz, even referring to his philosophy as "Biological Monadism." Witkiewicz believed that the universe starts as undifferentiated "Being." This "Being" is made up of individual beings, with each "I" as an identity that contains multiple identities. Thus, the universe is an aggregation of particular existences. Each existence, each "I," is the ultimate being within its system and cannot be reduced.

Because his philosophy emphasized the sacredness of the individual, Witkiewicz was a vehement critic of modern bourgeois society. He believed that industrialization and mechanization would dehumanize society. This trend, along with totalitarianism, from the Fascists as well as Socialists, would lead to an annihilation of the individual personality.

History

Janulka is unique in that it pulls characters from different epochs of Lithuanian history, divorced from their historical context and divorced from any meaning. The Lithuanian Boyar is moping around for most of the play, existing only for the aristocrats to comment on, until they hack up the aristocrats at the end. The sorcerer is also borrowed from an earlier period, but possesses no supernatural powers in this period, only the power to manipulate modern egos.

All of the characters in Janulka are aware of their place in history and talk about history using the most trite academic jargon imaginable. They yearn to be like the great figures of history, whose lives they imagine had drama and meaning. The problem is, it isn't the great figures of history they are thinking of, but the great figures of literature. Most of the characitures in the play, the power-hungry tyrant, the sheltered princess, the Nietszchean Superman, are literary archetypes, even if they are based on historical figures.

The neglected desire of Witkiewicz's modern man, then, is for literary significance, not historical significance. When they lament that their lives do not have meaning, they are comparing their lives to the lives in the novels and plays they have read. There is no way to know if the life of modern man has any less meaning than that of the French aristocrat of the 17th Century. What we do know is that, since only the priesthood and the aristocracy had the time and skill to write literature in that period, the literature is invariably concerned with aristocrats.

Atrophy

Modern existence in Janulka is premised on the notion that the world will stagnate, go into atrophy, from a lack of meaning and vitality. However, this is only true for those who do not have to work for a living or who do not have arts to devote themselves to. In this sense, when in history have idle aristocrats not stagnated? It is entirely natural that a person who does nothing degenerates and goes into atrophy. In olden days, such a person, if he/she were an aristocrat, would merely have squandered his/her inheritance and blown his/her chances at gaining political power.

Technology and Bureaucracy

Most of the characters in Janulka are terrified by technology and bureaucracy, seeing them as the ultimate dehumanizers of modern man. Technology is represented by the poison gas of Von Plasewitz, "odourless and invisible gases that produce terrific psychological depression." Telling is the fact that these gases are seemingly innocuous and, indeed, will not kill a person, only sap away their joy and love of life.

Bureaucracy is represented by Joel the Semite, who can assemble the entire machinery of government overnight. Rather, Joel has to, because the rulers are too lazy to deal with such boring matters. The fact that he is a "merchant in the grand manner" and "transcendentalist Zionist" evokes images of an international Jewish conspiracy. One can guess what the bureaucracy will be designed to do in Witkiewicz's world.

The Erotic

Being a play about the marriage of Princess Janulka, Witkiewicz uses this familiar setting to explore erotic themes which are bashfully concealed in traditional literature. Janulka is the sheltered, sex-starved princess and Master is part tortured Vampire, part Nietszchean Superman. Master, however, overintellecutalizes sex and is more into talking about it than having it.

There is also the Freudian tension between Fidjezco and Janulka, evidenced when Fidjezco pounds his fist after his daughter reappears from Master's quarters. All of the themes regarding forbidden erotic love are present here, with Master promising the possessive Fidjezco that he has not violated his precious daughter.