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Symbolic Migration to the Super-West in the Polish Pomeranian Press of the 19305
of "between in anthropological and philosophical reflection, is the cultural inter¬
space. In this inter-space, ‘the self’ very often encounters the Other. This phenom¬
enon can be illustrated, for the sake of this article, by the images of America as the
land of desired strangeness and symbolic migration towards it.’
Hunting the Other
Encounters with Others in Europe became obligatory, especially after WWII
when victims started to be listened to, and their perspective started being accepted
in scientific and literary discourse. However, Others had already been present in
European culture for a long time, although with a different shade of meaning.
Throughout the ages, the Orient used to be an ideal Other. Europe in contact
with this Other dominated diverse areas in different ways, controlled them (also
politically), expanded its own awareness (by learning about foreign lands and
people). Over the centuries Europe entered numerous relationships with Others.
‘These contacts had grown in importance by the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, when the European seeker and explorer cemented his privileged status
with the development of science. His presence in the arena of history aimed to
arrange and subdue the world. This operation was accomplished by presenting,
in the form of the accumulated knowledge, countless examples of the reality of
Others. This was the realisation of the guidelines of eighteen according to which
Europe was expected to make a significant contribution to boost the progress of
sciences and skills by sharing old art works and curiosities of nature (Pomian 1990:
96). The cult of science during the Enlightenment era made quasi-priests to be its
representatives, announcing the victory of Western culture. Europe methodically
appropriated the Others and Otherness, believing that “what gives the oriental
world the rational order and identity, is not its own work, but rather a long series of
cognitive operations by the West; thanks to this the Orient received its personality”
(Said 1991: 74).
Exercising authority over Others materialised the hegemonic aspiration of
Europe to its ultimate extent. Possessing Others politically and showing their
culture consolidated European self-centeredness (Waldenfels 1995: 23-24).
Common opinion about humans (Europe) and non-humans (the rest) was given
scientific seriousness, treating the confrontation and subordination of Others as
the standard of conduct because the West, as it was thought, was predestined to
both the intellectual ordering and political management of the non-West, as noted
3 For the sake of clarification, when reference in this article is made to the West, it means the Western
world, Europe as such, as opposed to the Oriental East. Poland was considered to be part of this West,
as it largely adopted a European viewpoint. It resulted from both the nature of nation-building processes
and the history of Polish foreign relations. Until the end of the 18" century, Polish national identity was
formed according to the Western model, i.e. democracy. In the 19" and 20" centuries, due to wars and
partitions it was Western Europe where the Polish would find refuge and seek support for the Polish na¬
tional interest. The US is beyond our definition of the West, being referred to as the super-West.
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