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Narrative, Identity, and Philosophy of Power in the Oeuvre of Lajos Grendel

The dissertation is devoted to the work of Lajos Grendel, arguably the most important Hungarian prose writer in Slovakia. It includes a comprehensive narratological analysis of the narrative techniques used in Grendel's novels and short stories. Based on Paul Ricoeur's theory, the study examines narrative identity in Grendel's works, focusing on how identity is constructed in specific contexts, the roles assumed by minority identities in the author's fictional worlds, and simultaneously in his journalistic and essayistic texts. The relationship between power and the individual is a primary factor in the formation of identity. The philosophy of power has intensely preoccupied the author, as has the question of individual freedom; however, academic reception has not yet addressed this topic. In analyzing this issue, the dissertation draws on theories from the social philosophy of power (Antonio Gramsci, Michel Foucault, and others) as well as literary models that influenced the author (Franz Kafka, Robert Musil, and others). Ultimately, this work sheds light on the complex ways in which Grendel's narratives reflect and challenge the dynamics of power, identity, and freedom in minority contexts, offering new perspectives for literary studies..