Auto/biografia kontrfaktyczna Doris Lessing

The article presents an interpretation of Doris Lessing’s last novel Alfred and Emily – a patchwork created from fragments of dictionary definitions and encyclopaedic entries, a selection of literary quotes and a memoir about the writer’s brother. Broadly, the book is divided into two parts: the first part is a fictitious biography of the author’s parents, whereas the second part contains memories about them and their life in the bush. The second one supplements the first part with historical facts and critical moments from the family’s life. By constructing an alternative story about her parents, Lessing creates a counterfactual auto/biography by eliminating one historical fact which had impact on their lives and brought painful losses. By focusing precisely on the year 1914, Lessing tests ideas put forward by the British virtual history champion Niall Ferguson, who, contrary to Marxist historiosophy, postulates that the history of the world is contingent.