Milada Součková’s Private Memory Archive (Based on the Short Story Rok šestašedesátý from the Collection Entitled Neznámý člověk)

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of one of the short stories authored by Czech writer – Milada Součková: the short story Rok šestašedesátý included in the collection entitled Neznámý člověk (published in 1962, written in 1943). The introduction addresses the issues related to the clarification of the concept of a memory archive and the concept of the archive itself. Its characteristics, i.e. a certain arrangement of the collection, its permanent structure and three essential aspects of archiving are indicated: searching, saving and storing. These aspects are also typical of the structure of the analysed prose authored by Milada Součková. The next part of the article (Neznámý člověk as a private archive of memory) pertains to the entire above-metioned volume of the stories whose characteristic motif is the motif of memory linked with space, time and history. In the further parts of the article, the author goes on to the structural and interpretative analysis of the story she is interested in. She draws attention to such aspects as memory figures, i.e. time and space, thematic associations, memory carriers and memory traces and places. In conclusion, she draws attention to three components of the Milada Součková’s private memory archive: the memory of the language, the memory of the father and the memory of the historical events taking place in 1866.