The Peasants (Polish: Chłopi) is a Polish novel by Władysław Reymont, initially published in four parts between 1904 and 1909.
Set in the late 19th century, the novel depicts a year in the lives of the hardworking villagers of Lipce. Our protagonists are Maciej, one of the wealthier villagers and one of Lipce's unofficial leaders, and his new wife Jagna, a beautiful maiden who had been having an affair with Maciej's son Antek prior to their marriage. Also in the picture is Hanka, Antek's dutiful wife. As the seasons go on, tensions between the characters worsen.
The novel was initially written in a folk dialect, and is known for its depictions of naturalism and peasant life. It has been adapted to film thrice. The 1922 version is lost media, while the 1973 version is a rerelease of a miniseries adaptation from the previous year by Jan Rybkowski. The 2023 version is an animated rotoscoped version from the creators of Loving Vincent.
Tropes:
- Blended Family Drama: Antek's father remarries to the woman he had been having an affair with and gifts her a significant part of his new lands, giving Antek another reason to resent the union.
- Hot for Preacher: Played for drama. Jagna falls for a young priest candidate, and the transgressiveness of this attraction finally causes the villagers to banish her for being what they perceive as an amoral beauty.
- Love Father, Love Son: Jagna was having an affair with Antek before basically being forced into marrying his father Maciej.
- Mal Mariée: Wealthy old man Maciej and his lovely, young new wife Jagna, who loves his son. Eventually they begin to resent each other.
- Really Gets Around: Jagna has romances with many men including her husband's son, which causes hate among many people in the village.
- Seasonal Baggage: The novel is divided into four sections set during a season (beginning with Spring and ending with Winter), chronicling a year in the lives of the titular peasants.
- Shamed by a Mob: Jagna is ostracized by the villagers for her romances and ends up banished from the village.
- Torches and Pitchforks: When lord of village tried to sell his forest for cutting down villagers rushed against lumberjacks which turns into a battle.
