The Problem of Crime in the Works of Polish and Georgian Prose Writers of the Late 19th Century (Henryk Sienkiewicz and Egnate Ninoshvili)

Abstract

This paper discusses the theme of crime as depicted in the works of Polish literary classic Henryk Sienkiewicz and the prominent representative of Georgian critical realism in the late 19th century, Egnate Ninoshvili. The name Ninoshvili is introduced for the first time into the study of Polish–Georgian literary relations. According to the author, several of Ninoshvili’s short stories on peasant life (“Simona”, “The Scribe Mose”, and “The Knight of Our Country”) were written under the ideological and thematic influence of Henryk Sienkiewicz’s short story „Charcoal Sketches” („Szkice węglem”). The stylistic analysis of the works by these Georgian and Polish writers supports the author’s hypothesis regarding this influence. At the same time, the study highlights the artistic originality of Ninoshvili’s stories, particularly in their depiction of national traditions, the Georgian national mentality, and the author’s unique creative perspective.