Jenta and jętka, or reflections on the phonetic similarity between a name and the name of an insect, with a lesson plan for interested students

Abstract

The author argues that the name Jenta, the protagonist of Olga Tokarczuk's novel, phonetically echoes the Polish word for the insect “mayfly” (jętka).. She explores how this phonetic resemblance contributes to the novel’s overall meaning. Part I presents interpretive reflections on this connection, while Part II outlines a set of classroom activities that enable the inclusion of selected fragments of Tokarczuk’s The Books of Jacob in Polish language lessons.