Chapter 2 Roman Catholic Religion and Folk Religiosity in the Fiction of Contemporary American Writers of Polish Descent
An Analysis of Selected Works by Stuart Dybek
In: Religious Narratives in Contemporary Culture
Author:
Sonia Caputa
Sonia Caputa
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Abstract
Polish American ethnic culture has been shaped by Roman Catholic religion due to the fact that, historically, Poles have identified themselves through Catholicism, which oftentimes has been perceived as the symbol of “Polishness”. As a consequence, religious folk customs, celebrations, national symbols and the cult of the patron saints have intermingled and overlapped, creating some specific types of religious experiences for Polish immigrants in the United States which are well reflected in the fiction of Stuart Dybek. Therefore, the aim of the present chapter is to shed some light upon Dybek’s depiction of Roman Catholic religion and folk religiosity in his short stories.