A Sentimental Aspect of Franciszek Wiktor Dmochowski’s “Napoleonic” Memoirs

Abstract

The article focuses on showing memoirs of Napoleonic era – Franciszek Wiktor Dmochowski’s Letters from a Former Sergeant Major (Pol. Pisma byłego wachmistrza; 1843) – as a sign of vivacity of sentimentalism at the end of early part of the 19^th century. Two-strip structure of narration – recording of historical data and recording of subjective emotional experiences – shows accordance with typical sentimental regulation: the more intensive inner life the richer description of external reality. The motif of unfortunate love plays an important part in carrying a recollection. Apart of sentimentally conventionalized narrative structure the work of Dmochowski is perceived by its editor, Andrzej Edward Koźmian, in the way that indicates a publishing manner of sentimentalism. The publisher in his Preface creates the author of memoirs according with sentimental anthropological patterns and explains this creation referring sentimental axiology which he consents to.