The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski - Literary Analysis Essay

Introduction

Kosinski's The Painted Bird is perhaps one of the best novel that vividly captures the events and outcomes associated with the Second World War as well as the Holocaust. It is however, important to note the fact that in covering both events, the author seems to offer a snapshot of the cruelty, senseless violence and brutality that is pertinent to any war situations (Finkelstein, 121). For years Kosinski would go on to falsely term the story as an autobiography before accepting the fact that it was fictional, in that it did not represent his own life experiences, but nevertheless it captured the stories of people who had lived through similar experiences. The huge attention accorded to the novel accrues from the fact that it underscores the fact that creative faculties care hard to be eliminate. In managing to weave a captivating and unique story that explores the vagaries of war, Kosinski manages to highlight the fact that even the unimaginable brutality of mechanized warfare could not stop the development of masterpieces covering the topic.

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Kosinski's brilliance is to be found in the fact that he manages to interlace truth and fictional stories to create a unique semi-autobiographical work of its time (Franklin, 103) He achieves this feat by comparing the innocence of childhood to the vagaries and brutality of the adult experience. As a result, the readers are treated to a universal overview of the trauma that is pertinent to nay war situation. The onset of the story is German's invasion of Poland, where the reader is made aware of who the protagonist is. The story begins with a nameless six-year old boy being to an eastern village by his parents, with the hope that he may be able to survive the war. However, a series of event that unfold from this moment result in the loss of touch between child and parents, and before long, the young boy becomes a homeless wanderer. The readers are made to note the fact that the boy is of dark appearance and that his language is that of the rich and educated Poles that live in urban areas.

This description is essential in highlighting the child's vulnerability and isolation in moving to the rural areas away from the city. The boy finds himself among peasants who are blonde and speak in a local dialect. From the boy's experiences, the readers are made aware of the ignorance, poverty and superstitious nature that permeates within the host community. With the onset of the war, these problems were intensified, thus further intensifying the hatred against people who were deemed outsiders. Their ignorance meant that they remained fearful and skeptical of strangers more so those of complexions considered swarthy, such as the homeless boy. Despite its rural placement geographically, the village endures tremendous psychological trauma accruing from their proximity to the concentration camps. From time to time, the village people were treated to scenes of truckloads of people passing through their lands headed for the concentration camps. The boy's adventures take him through numerous events including a stint with witches, sadists, as well as a nymphomaniac goat girl. Besides being treated to unimaginable brutality, he also witnesses tremendous acts of violence including acts and incidences of murder.

A good example is to be found in the description he gives regarding a murder scene he witnessed. In spiteful revenge a man goes on to murder his wife's lover as the boy witnesses. The boy's description serves to paint the picture of what went down during the murder as is captured in the statement "With a rapid movement such as women use to gouge out the rotten spots while peeling potatoes, he plunged the spoon into one of the boy's eyes and twisted it (Kosinski, 33)." On another end, it can be argued that this particular statement serves to highlight the fact that the author is well versed with the visual prose style. The climax of the novel comes during a mass celebration during which he drops the missal he had been bequeathed. The reaction of the peasants go on to run him into a mute. They attempt to drown him in a manure pit and upon surviving the ordeal, he is so traumatized to the extent of losing his power of speech. With time however, the boy manages to develop a system to cope with the dismalness of the society in which he resides.

The new life of peasantry begins to take a hold of him, up until the time he comes in contact with the Russian forces. It is from this point that he gains entry into the Red Army becomes a form of relief socially and intellectually. Having endured a society in which he felt suppressed and subdued by the prevailing peasant culture, his entry into a society that is idealistic and readily accepting of the new ideas becomes a major reprieve. For a moment, he joins a community in which he perfectly fits, an element that compels him to unleash his potential. However, upon his return to the civilian authorities he is unable to reintegrate into the society, opting to run to savagery and violence (Bernard-Donals, Michael and Richard, 93). In this case the author delves into the dynamics of post-traumatic stress disorder that comes as an aftermath of war. It takes a while before he can be able to discern between the different ideological perspectives that form the basis of the environment of violence he had experienced throughout his life. The reader is made aware of the fact that the boy manages to develop the capacity to distinguish between the ignorance that formed the basis of the cruelty of the peasants from the ideological savagery of the Nazis.

Beside the captivating nature of the story, the readers are further pushed to consider the perspective from which they are to interpret the story considering that it is half true and half fictional (Rothe, 137). Further on, besides exploring the vagaries of war, the author also focuses on adult sexual fantasies, an element that greatly influence the synthesis of the content of the novel. Ideally, one concrete way of appreciating the novel would to be look at in from a symbolic or poetic perspective. More specifically, it can be seen as criticism of the ideological perspectives that formed the basis some of the greatest wars ever waged by humanity. The author's criticism focuses on the cultural disintegration that permeates both the peasant life as well as that of Polish community upon its ratification of a false and trivial political system (Corngold, 153). The scale of the author's criticism is further broadened by the fact that he chooses to include the story of the Red Army. In this particular case, he attempts to highlight the fact that despite the cultural and social diversity between the rural peasants and the political elite.

An underlying theme that can be noted across the book is that of natural skepticism which the author utilizes to capture and highlight horrors that are pertinent to the human condition. It is the author's intention to emphasize the need for a degree of skepticism in day to day engagements. He uses a hypnotic writing style that manages to capture a great deal of detail to highlight the fact that with a little attention on the uniqueness of the multiplicity of experiences that individuals have had a peaceful society can be established. The Painted Bird deserves better acknowledgement and acclaim considering the role it plays in shifting the consciousness of the readers. He challenges various stereotypes that are prevalent within society forcing his readers to consider their daily decisions and how they impact and influence things around them. The most important aspect of the Mr. Kosinski's novel is that he manages to dramatize and define the environment and nature of war, highlighting how human beings can be alienated using simple ideologies and imaginations as is exemplified by the democrats, peasants, as well as the communists. In a world that is rapidly becoming a global village, there is a need for communities to acknowledge the existing socio-cultural diversity. It is from this point of view that they will be able to optimally interact and communicate within the emerging global community.

Work Cited

Bernard-Donals, Michael F, and Richard R. Glejzer. Witnessing the Disaster: Essays on Representation and the Holocaust. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2003. Internet resource.

Corngold, Stanley. "Jerzy Kosinski's" The Painted Bird": Language Lost and Regained." Mosaic 6.4 (1973): 153.

Finkelstein, Norman. "The Holocaust Industry." Index on Censorship 29.2 (2000): 120-130.

Franklin, Ruth. A thousand darknesses: Lies and truth in Holocaust fiction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Kosinski, Jerzy. The painted bird. Grove Press, 1976.

Rothe, Anne. Popular Trauma Culture: Selling the Pain of Others in the Mass Media. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press, 2011. Internet resource.