The Repetitiveness of Boredom in Jerzy Andrzejewski’s Story “The End”

Abstract

This article is an analysis of Jerzy Andrzejewski’s short story “The End” (1933) in the context of multiple views of boredom. In Andrzejewski’s text, boredom appears above all in the routine activities the protagonist is forced to perform. Because he must continually do the same thing, he experiences negative affects such as anger, helplessness, and hate. The author argues that boredom is an experience stimulated by repetition. Recurring situations, events, and feelings force the hero to think about the circumstances in which he finds himself. Although Gielbard perceives his life failure, he is unable to change his fate and overcome his boredom. The experience of boredom determines his difficult family relations, as well as his economic conditions, which he is unable to alter.