The Eighth Tribe, 1975 (2. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1975-03-01 / 3. szám
Page Six THE EIGHTH TRIBE March, 1975 problems of society. At this creative period (1844) of Petofi’s career, there are obvious affinities with Manicheism, which is similarly based on an uncompromising duality; that is, the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness permeate all life and struggle for the control of man. In a few years (exactly four) Petőfi turns to a more realistic representation of his aesthetic ideal, the representation of the revolutionist in The Apostle. The protagonist of The Apostle is a man of the people, an active revolutionist with progressive ideas. The radical republican Szilveszter lives in a large city and finds himself on the brink of starvation, because this poor free-lance writer would never sell his pen to the feudal lords of his oppressed country. Dark night descends upon the city; there is only one ray of light, perhaps also in slmbolic meaning, which emanates through the window of the attic where Szilveszter is sitting, trying to come to a great decision. He has to choose between slavery with good pay or freedom and poverty. The conflict in The Apostle is between the revolutionary writer and the oppressors of the people, the most cruel of whom is the king. Szilvesztert firm conviction of freedom’s victory would have made his fight and martyrdom easy if he had been alone, but his wife and children are hungry. While they sleep, the father can ponder the bitter problems of life. Is it the responsibility to his family or the fight for social improvement which should be considered more important? He prays to the Creator: ... God! Hail to you! Let me say my prayer! A grain of dust of your World came to you on his knees to tell you: I am your true son, Father. You have sent me to pursue a difficult profession, but I do not complain. On the contrary, my thanks for it, because this is a sign that you love me, that I am your chosen one. The inhabitants of the world have degenerated and turned away from you; they have become slaves. Slavery! This is the origin of crime and other vices are merely its descendants. .. Father, you gave me only one life, but I want to sacrifice it in your service... This radical writer who wants to become the benefactor of the world is a man of the city. He is a foundling like John the Vitéz, but fate places him in the slums of the city, where he learns about the problems of the lower class. From the dirty streets and alleys of the suburb, Szilveszter is taken into the house of a noble family. This change gives him an opportunity to acquire an education, indispensable for one who wants to have a leading role in society. Szilevszter suffers physically and spiritually: his young master slaps him, smears him with dirt and then boxes his ears because he is dirty. The young orphan’s mind penetrates the secrets of knowledge faster than his young master’s. Their teacher gives Szilveszter his salary to further his education. The orphan learns so diligently that the others are jealous. Upon graduation from school as the best student, he is in the position to choose from a number of positions to make a fortune for himself, but he wants neither to be a slave nor to exploit others. When poor people come to him and ask him to be the notary of the village, Szilveszter accepts. He promises the people of the village that he will be their teacher and protector. The peasants come to him after work to hear him explain their rights and obligations as free citizens. Only two people hate the notary, the lord of the manor and the priest. The squire invites the notary to his house and reprimands him for misleading his serf-peasants and turning the villagers into rebels. H the notary causes further dissension, he will have him expelled from the village. On Sunday the topic of the priest’s sermon deals with Szilveszter. With apparent horror the priest tells the congregation of believers that the notary is an atheist and an instigator of dissension. If, the priest says, they tolerate the activity of this man, they will be lost both in this world and the next one too, because the king would order them to be massacred for their fraternization with a rebel, and the friends of an atheist will not be admitted to heaven after death. The infuriated people run to the young notary and order him to leave. They warn him, if they see him next day, they will beat him to death. Each defeat he suffers teaches him a lesson that the greater the power of oppression, the greater is the task of a revolutionist to lead the people to liberty. After a short period of married life Szilveszter resumes his revolutionary activity. His strategy is to arouse the people by the power of words. Censorship is the first obstacle on the road to freedom. He has to admit to himself that those works from which his people would benefit would never pass the censor. Szilveszter resorts to passive resistance. To earn his daily bread he copies the works of others. By mere
