Balade Petrice Kerempuha

Petrica Kerempuh, a jovial, adventurer and vagabond who fights against injustice and arrogance. He steals from the rich and gives to the poor, mocking the avarice and ignorance of the upper class. The songs from this collection are thematically very socially engaged. They show the life of small Croatian peasants, serfs and workers who are ruled and exploited by landlords, usually foreign masters. It also shows the ironic and self-deprecating side of the peasant who endures difficult conditions, but does not lose heart because of his humor. This book is an outstanding display of Krleža's poetic character, using irony, paradox, sarcasm and the grotesque to portray modern society and its shortcomings. Petrica Kerempuh, as a character, changes the world through her actions, making it a better place for poor and oppressed individuals.