Informator
Informator (1894) is a shorter prose work by Vjenceslav Novak, edited by Slavko Ježić (the third volume of Collected Works). It is one of Novak's most socially engaged texts and is typical of his realistic approach.
The plot follows a young, gifted, but poor intellectual who tries to support himself by working as an informer – a private tutor and educator in wealthier bourgeois and aristocratic homes. Novak faithfully and critically portrays humiliation, dependence on employers, the hypocrisy of society, class differences and the difficult living conditions of educated, but powerless young people in the second half of the 19th century.
The work sharply analyzes Croatian bourgeois society – its superficiality, materialism and insensitivity towards the “little man”. As in Novak’s other works, the central theme is the fate of a talented individual who is suffocated by his environment and social circumstances. The writer shows a subtle social feeling, compassion and a critical view of the injustices of his time.
With a precise style, realistic descriptions and psychological insights, Informator represents a strong social commentary and a valuable contribution to Croatian realistic prose. It is shorter than Novak’s great novels, but emotionally and critically very potent.
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