Californian Flânerie in Karolina Waclawiak’s How to Get into the Twin Palms

Unlike most of the immigration novels created by contemporary Polish American female writers, How to Get into Twin Palms written Karolina Waclawiak, does not focus on hardships assimilation culture but depicts experiments with ethnic cross-dressing. a representative so-called one-and-a half generation immigrants from 1980s Solidarity wave, reinvents story as her protagonist, Zosia, resident Los Angeles, yearns become Russian in order be granted entrance mysterious and appealing nightclub. The protagonist’s transformation Anya goes hand exploration City Angels, thepostmodern megalopolis neon lights pavements reaching horizon. Thus, Zosia/Anya becomes Californian flâneuse, urban scrutinizer strolling observer what is known photographed least photogenic city United States. In this context, main aim presentation will explore flânerie Waclawiak’s novel: while walking down streets narrator flâneuse reflects home (Polish) culture, underscores status an immigrant outsider, delves questions alienation well defamiliarization. Hence, one may assume that itself contributes protagonist.