The novel "The King" by Szczepan Tvadoch depicts the social unrest and Jewish gang activities in Warsaw in 1937 through the narrator's recollections. The novel integrates elements of organized crime, history, and social criticism, using black humor, magical colors, and dream logic. The two major fictional characters, the "Devil Brothers" and the Sperm Whale, run through the entire text. Through the analysis of non natural narrative theory, the deep ideological implications of the work are revealed, providing a new perspective for understanding Polish society and literature.

Introduction to Non Natural Narrative Theory

Since the 21st century, non natural narratology, as one of the post classical narrative schools, has been regarded as one of the most exciting new paradigms in narrative theory, alongside rhetorical narratology, feminist narratology, and cognitive narratology. The core of non natural narratology is to break the tradition of imitation, involving scenes and events that are physically, logically, or cognitively impossible to occur. Non natural narrative can be the narrative behavior itself, or it can be fictional elements that are impossible or unreliable in terms of time, story world, thought representation, and narrative behavior. Non naturalness is a transcendence of human practical experience and existing understanding, and is commonly present in postmodern literature and avant-garde texts. Albert classified non natural phenomena into four categories: non natural narrators, non natural characters, non natural time, and non natural space, among which non natural characters can be further subdivided into five categories. The nine "naturalized" reading strategies for non natural narratives include framework integration, categorization, subjectification, theme prepositioning, allegorical reading, irony and imitation, assuming a transcendent kingdom, self-help reading, and Zen style reading. These strategies do not have a fixed order, and readers should flexibly choose and apply them according to the work.

2 "Devil Brothers" and the Pain of Division

In depth exploration of the image of "devil brothers" in "The King", which symbolizes the internal division and existential crisis of Pantaleon. Through the "categorization" reading strategy, the "devil brothers" are linked to the prototype of the "two faced person" in American culture, revealing their deformity, division, and danger. Pantaleon attempted to conceal this anomaly, but had to use it to please the audience and raise questions about human existence and subjectivity. The narrator's hatred and confusion towards deformities lead to a denial of God, believing that if humans are not unique, there are no true humans, but rather slaves.

3 Sperm Whales and Loss of Subjectivity

Deeply explored the symbolic significance of the sperm whale in the novel "The King" and its connection with human subjectivity. As a non natural image, the appearance of the sperm whale in the novel echoes the quotes in "Moby Dick", adding a touch of fantasy. Through the "framework integration" reading strategy, sperm whales are endowed with human characteristics, such as gaze and emotional responses with special significance, as well as their activities in human activity spaces, all of which break through the framework of natural organisms. The abnormality of its activity range, such as its appearance in the sky, implies the reversal of order and the alternation of power. The song and name "Litani" of the sperm whale further emphasize its anthropomorphic characteristics, while also carrying mystery and danger.

4 Conclusion

The novel "The King" explores the boundaries between nature and the supernatural, human and non-human, reality and transcendence through the symbolism of "devil brothers" and sperm whales. Tewadoch's non natural narrative technique, combined with mysterious colors, black humor, and dream logic, provides readers with a unique aesthetic experience, while revealing the crisis of human existence through intertextuality with fields such as medicine, religion, and politics. The opening quote of the novel from "Moby Dick" implies the existence of a crisis, manifested in the contradictions and divisions between individuals and collectives, as well as the loss of subjectivity. This crisis challenges the stability of traditional human subjectivity at the level of philosophical theory, echoes the post humanistic trend, and criticizes anthropocentrism. In the cultural context of Poland, the historical and current crisis of the Jewish community reflects the expansion of desires and power struggles under anthropocentrism. The King inherits the weighty sense of Polish literature, reflecting the fate and emotions of the nation, inspiring readers to discover truth in fiction and contemplate major social issues. The author's criticism is based on profound reflections on human nature, reflecting a humanitarian stance and humanistic care.