Internationale Kulturwissenschaften International Cultural Studies Etudes culturelles internationales
Sektion VII:		"Interkultureller" Austausch, transkulturelle Prozesse und Kulturwissenschaften
Section VII:		"Intercultural" Exchange, Transcultural Processes and Cultural Studies
Section VII:		Echange interculturel, processus transculturel et études culturelles

Vladimír Papoušek (Ceské Budejovice)

The image of the American Culture in the Literary Works of Czech Settlement in Chicago

Czechs began to arrive in the Chicago area during the second half of the nineteenth century. The waves of immigrants culminated in the first ten years of the twentieth century during which a strong Czech urban community grew in Chicago. The ethnic enclave very soon achieved economic independence on various social levels, and simultaneously a strong self confidence as well. The community quickly developed various cultural activities, and in particular an original literature extending from daily journalism to poetry. These various literary texts could be a very rich source of historical traces for us. Through structural and historical analysis of these traces, we can follow the transformation of the original cultural and ideological models brought by Czech immigrants to the New World, and the metamorphosis of provincial Czechs into urban Americans. On the general level we can follow the encounter of a minority culture with a majority, and chart the short - lived yet dramatic course of this encounter .

As a very important symptom of this transformation process we shall consider the changes in the image of America in the literary texts of Czechs in Chicago. We can describe this process in three historical phases.

The first phase covers the period from the 50^th years to the 90^th years of the 19^th century. The Czech newcomers, especially the radicals and anticlerically oriented intellectuals among them, brought to discourse of the émigré press and their first artistic texts the ideals of national renaissance and Pan Slavonic traditions. The Czech journalist Vojta Naprstek, during his stay in America from 1849 - 1857 dreamt of removing the Czech settlement in America to Russia, and this possibility was seriously discussed in the émigré press [See: Capek,T.: 50 Years of the Czech Press in America, New York 1911]. This utopian attempt is very typical for the thought of this period. In the Czech émigré press we only find images of the old country or images of European spaces. The Czech texts almost never speak about America as a whole . Only very provincial images of local spaces can be found - merely streets, or districts with Czech neighbourhoods. We can feel the strong xenophobia within the enclave. The Czech authors describe the members of other national groups with mistrust and hostility. Of course among the least popular groups are found the direct competitors from Chicago neighbourhood - the Irish. The historian of Czech Chicago Rudolf Bubenicek for example described plenty street fights among both communities [Bubenicek,R: Dejiny Cechu v Chicagu, Chicago 1939].

The plot of short stories and novels published in the first major publishing house in Chicago, in August Geringer Publishing House are situated mostly in the immediate Czech environment and the attention dedicated to the large area is minimal. On the other hand, for example in the émigré literary revue American we can find plenty short stories inspired by the adventures of pioneers in the wild plains of the Midwest. Still, this image of a typically American space is very general. The Czech Americans use for description similar tools as the European authors who knew America only from travelogues and literature.

It is possible to conclude that in this period we cannot recognize a structural image of America in Czech compatriot literature because the community is focused on own internal problems, and the writing attempts to evoke the memory of the old home country in a new unknown environment. Shelter from the cultural storm is only sought in the shadow of old idols and gods.

In the last ten years of 19^th century and in the beginning of 20^th century the increasingly economically successful community began to manifest their greater self- confidence. Many Czechs from Chicago traveled in this period back to the old country - to visit relatives but especially to show their own success. Returning to the monarchy they recognized deep differences between their own living style and the bureaucratic and clerical order in their old homeland. In literary documents of the time frequent trope travels to European old country. The Czechs from Chicago compare in these texts the living conditions and living style in Austria and America and they are very sharp critics of the Austrian mode of life. For example Czech émigré novelist R.J. Psenka, in his novel Washington Zavora, criticizes the habits of the Prague and Vienna middle class. He sharply condemns their weakness for titles of nobility, their submission to bureaucratic authority.

He condemned the frivolity of women in Prague and Vienna and compared it with the pride of American women. On the other hand he described Chicago as a friendly place of harmony and freedom. It is clear that his novel though written in Czech is definitely American. The change of point of view is not only typical for this novel but is a general symptom in Czech émigré literature of this period. We can consider it as phase two of our process of changes. The émigré poet from Chicago Bartos Bittner expressed his respect to America and American democracy in the poem Two flags. The influence of American ideals is possible to recognize in the poem by another émigré poet J. Vranek in his book On American Soil.

On the other hand, we can find a critical image of America as well. Jarka Kosar, in his book On Alien Soil showed America as a place of human selfishness and Czechs in America as lost branch of national tree. An exceptionally complex image of America is given by Jan Harris Zachar in his novel in verses Malat. His hero is an American Czech who goes through various changes of social status and visits various typical American environments on his journey. He changes from a newcomer into a successful businessman and from this he declines to an American hobo. At the end we see him joining the American Progressive Party. The metamorphoses in the novel Malat are a symptom of the strong acceptance of the American living models in Czech émigré community including such special parts as political rituals. As a very important element of this acceptance we can consider the structural and diverse image of various American environments. The influence of American culture is possible to prove in another of Zachar's literary works, for example in the book of poetry Echoes of Prairies and Towers of Babylon where the author very frequently quote the American poet Walt Whitman. In the same book, in the poem The millions are disappearing through the American gate Zachar welcomes Czech newcomers to America, the land of freedom.

Both of Zachar's books were edited shortly before World War 1 . During the period of the War the self - confidence of Czech Chicagoans culminated in the actions for liberation of the Czech lands and in a strong resistance movement against Austria. Their contributions to the foundation of Czechoslovakia in 1918 were interpreted as symbolic help offered by free Americans of Czech origin to the country of their ancestors. All actions and individuals connected with the liberation movement started to be very quickly transformed into an object of myths. This quick change of historical events into almost sacral myths is typical for the third phase of our process and we can date it precisely between 1918 to 1938.

In the novels Dollars and Blood or in Mirva by the writer R.J. Psenka Masaryk is described as an almost evangelical figure. Vaclav Miniberger shows in his novel Jim's homer Calvin the newly formed Czechoslovakia to be a mythical country resembling Shangri La. In comparison with the nostalgic and mythic image of old country this novel shows a very plastic image of American reality with all social, political and cultural problems.

The prevalent form of literary production of this period though is the memoirs in which Czech- Americans show their journey to success in America. For books like Vlcek´s The story of my life or Capek´s My America a detailed knowledge of American reality is typical. Although writing in Czech the authors are Americans in the narrow of their bones.

The sharp difference between a realistic image of America and a mythic one of the old country, as well as the very quick transformation of historical events into myths can be interpreted as the attempt of Czech Americans to stay in their new American reality and to make the final break with the old country. For this reason historical reality changes into myths. Wishing to preserve ideal images of home country Czech - Americans do not want to concern themselves with problems of the new Czechoslovakia. And so the transformation of the community is almost finished. Old ideals and cultural habits are petrified in cold fetishes and totems of safety. New ideals resulting from the new living style and new reality come to replace them.

After 1918 the immigration of Czechs to America is almost vanishes thanks to new conditions in Czechoslovakia as well the new immigration policy of the American government. The original strong community in Chicago was left without sources for renewal. During the second half of the 20^th century the Czech enclave in Chicago is step by step melted into American culture.

		Internationale Kulturwissenschaften International Cultural Studies Etudes culturelles internationales
Sektion VII:		"Interkultureller" Austausch, transkulturelle Prozesse und Kulturwissenschaften
Section VII:		"Intercultural" Exchange, Transcultural Processes and Cultural Studies
Section VII:		Echange interculturel, processus transculturel et études culturelles