The central problem of this thesis is whether the contemporary Slovenian novel deals with themes of recent history, more specifically with the causes that led to the break-up of Yugoslavia, the consequences of its break-up and the problem of the erased in Slovenia. In the practical part of the thesis, the motif-thematic analysis has shown that these historical themes constitute an important element of the narrative text, thus confirming the assumptions that the historical theme, which has played an important role in literature in the past, is not forgotten in the contemporary novel. Nevertheless, we can observe that authors often focus primarily on the question of how social change and life at historical turning points, which Slovenia's independence and the break-up of Yugoslavia undoubtedly are, affect the individual, his feelings, fears and attitudes. In the selected contemporary Slovenian novels, the protagonists are confronted with existential crises stemming from a past marked by departures, uncertainty and fear. Although the literary text is a product of the author's imagination, the stories of the erased are presented in a very realistic manner, and the attentive reader familiar with recent Slovenian history will recognize in the secondary motifs and outlines of events the national tensions between the republics of the federation just before Slovenian independence and the consequences of the break-up of Yugoslavia, with a focus on the innocent victims of the war – those who lose their lives in the war, others who are dehumanized by the war and condemned to a life on the run, and the last who are unable to overcome a past that is deeply rooted in them. For the modern reader, knowledge of historical facts enables a different experience of the reception of the contemporary Slovenian novel and reminds him that in the most difficult historical moments we must not forget humanity and personal and social integrity. The most important emphasis that unites the historical and literary parts of the thesis is the awareness that the themes related to the collapse of Yugoslavia, Slovenian independence and the erased do not remain silent, taboo or overlooked.
|