The degree paper deals with the autobiographical elements and emigrant theme in Štefan Kardoš’s novel Vse moje Amerike. In Kardoš’s works, the autobiographical discourse is heavily present. It is most noticeable in this very novel, Vse moje Amerike, where the author dissects his life story and, through literary treatment, engages with his own mentality and memories. Through the story of grandfather Šandor and his life in USA, Kardoš discusses the lives of emigrants from Prekmurje in Betlehem, the political situation, and historical changes of those times. He describes the emigrants’ religious and social participation as well as everyday challenges they faced, while simultaneously telling the story of a grandfather who is referenced in reality outside of literature. In connection with grandfather’s story, Kardoš introduces the central figure K. who, noticeably referring to the author himself, discusses real life events which shaped him as a person and with the aid of which he travels through his own mentality and analyses his memories. As the novel’s title suggests, he dissects the meaning of each of his Americas which influenced his life. He also engages with the person into which he developed because of the Americas’ influence. The places and people we meet in the novel have a real-life reference, because the author describes places where he grew up, where he lived, and places he visited, as well as people who are connected to Kardoš himself or with his family. Further proof of the novel’s autobiographicality is provided through the use of the Prekmurje dialect in dialogues and the Stric pripoveduje chapter, where there is an exchange between the uncle’s and the author’s testimonies. The novel is a treasury full of historical facts connected to the emigration from and incorporation of the Prekmurje region to its homeland. Furthermore, the novel is a literary journey through Kardoš’s memories and mentality.
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