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Henry Sienkiewicz (1846 - 1916)IntroductionWherever the literature of a people is rich and inexhaustible, the existence of that people is assured, for the flower of civilization cannot grow on barren soil. But in every nation there are some rare geniuses who concentrate in themselves the spirit of the nation; they represent the national character to the world. Although they cherish the memories of the past of that people, they do so only to strengthen its hope for the future. Their inspiration is deeply rooted in the past, like the oaktree of Baublis in the desert of Lithuania, but the branches are swayed by the winds of the day. Such a representative of the literature and intellectual culture of a whole people is the man to whom the Swedish Academy has this year awarded the Nobel Prize. He is here and his name is Henryk Sienkiewicz. Such was C.D. af Wirsén's introduction to the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1905, the Polish literary hero, Henryk Sienkiewicz. Early YearsHe was born in 1846 in Wola Okrzejska, a part of Poland that was then occupied by Russia. On his father's side was the tradition of active revolutionary struggle against the occupation of Poland, while on his mother's side was a background of historical scholarship. Together these family traits were integral in his development as writer of historical novels filled with Polish patriotism.
 In 1876 Sienkiewicz left Poland for America. He spent most of this time in California. His impressions were published in Polish newspapers, and the journey also provided material for several short stories. At the end of 1879 he returned to Warsaw and became co-editor of the conservative newspaper Słowo (1882-87). A Polish Literary HeroUpon returing to Poland, Sienkiewicz immersed himself in Polish history and began work on the epic historical triology for which he is most known and loved for in Poland. These colorful, historical romances take place in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 17th century, and follow the dashing exploits of a group of Polish heroes. Beginning with Ogniem i Mieczem [With Fire and Sword] (1884), it was followed by Potop [The Deluge] (1886) and completed with Pan Michael (1888). Ogniem i Mieczem introduces the reader to the heroes of the cycle, and deals with the Chmielnicki Uprising of the Ukrainian Cossacks in 1648-1654 and the subsequent invasion of Poland by Ukrainian and Tartar armies. Potop continues the epic, where the Swedish invasion of Poland is used to drive the narrative. It is in this novel that the miraculous defense of the Jasna Gora Monastery is depicted. This salvation of the shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowy is a primary example of Sienkiewicz's intent to put Polish Catholic religiousness and military tradition in the foreground of his writing, done in the hope of raising the spirits of his contemporary readers. The final novel of the trilogy, Pan Michael, is set in 1668 during the Ottoman Empire's invasion of Poland's eastern frontier. The novels of The Trilogy follow in the tradition of Alexander Dumas and Walter Scott, where the fast-paced action and romance is complemented with a strong patriotic message.  Sienkiewicz's other novels written during this period deal with contemporary subjects. The novel Bez dogmatu [Without Dogma] (1891), is a psychological study of a sophisticated decadent man. He also wrote a "peasant" novel entitled Rodzina Polanieckich [Children of the Soil] (1894). While The Trilogy is most known and loved by Poles, Sienkiewicz's novel Quo Vadis (1895) is the book that made him a world-wide literary figure. Quo Vadis takes place in Rome during the time of Nero's persecution of Christians. It tells the story of the love that develops between a young Christian woman Lygia and the Roman military tribune Marcus Vinicius who, after meeting her fellow Christians, converts to her religion. In his later novels he returned again to historical subjects. Krzyzacy [The Teutonic Knights] (1900) deals with a period of Poland's medieval history during the reign of Queen Jadwiga and Jagiełło. Following in the tradition of his earlier historical romances, the novel tells about the origin of the Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Teutonic Knights at Grunwald. Na polu chwaly [On the Field of Glory] (1906) is a sequel to his seventeenth-century trilogy. In 1905, "because of his outstanding merits as an epic writer", Sienkiewicz was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. An insight into his vision of himself as simply a manifestation of Polish genius can be pulled from his acceptance speech given at the Nobel Banquet in Stockholm: Nations are represented by their poets and their writers in the open competition for the Nobel Prize. Consequently the award of the Prize by the Academy glorifies not only the author but the people whose son he is, and it bears witness that that nation has a share in the universal achievement, that its efforts are fruitful, and that it has the right to live for the profit of mankind. If this honour is premous to all, it is infinitely more so to Poland. It has been said that Poland is dead, exhausted, enslaved, but here is the proof of her life and triumph. Like Galileo, one is forced to think E pur si muovi when before the eyes of the world homage has been rendered to the importance of Poland's achievement and her genius. This homage has been rendered not to me - for the Polish soil is fertile and does not lack better writers than me - but to the Polish achievement, the Polish genius. For this I should like to express my most ardent and most sincere gratitude as a Pole to you gentlemen, the members of the Swedish Academy, and I conclude by borrowing the words of Horace: Principibus placuisse non ultima laus est.His last works Wiry [Whirlpools] (1910) and W pustyni i w puszczy [In Desert and Wilderness] (1912) again deal with contemporary subjects. Four years after his last novel was published, Henryk Sienkiewicz died in 1916 at the age of 71.  Contemporary CriticismSienkiewicz was a hugely popular writer in Poland, and across the world his works enjoyed a large readership. To many literary critics, the Nobel Prize committee, and especially the reading public, his place in the canon of world literature is firm. However, the literary merit of his works has not been without question. Several Polish literary figures have downplayed the ideological and intellectual value of his work. These critics include Witold Gombrowicz, Bolesław Prus, Aleksander Świętochowski, Stanisław Brzozowski, and Czesław Miłosz. Their criticisms mention the lack of psychological depth in his characters, and point to the extensive use of literary stereotypes. In addition, Sienkiewicz has been accused of "whitewashing" the historical nobility of Poland, and of contributing to false pictures of the society in the periods in which many of his novels are set. Selected Works
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