Henryk Sienkiewicz and Wladyslaw Reymont lived in XIXth centuty. It was a paintful period of Polishin history - Poland didn't exist as a state on world's maps. Since 1772 its territory was devided between three countries: Austria, Russia and Prussia. The authorities of these countries made everything to change Poles into Russians or Germans to assure themself eternal reigning over the Polish territory. Sienkiewicz lived in the Russian part of the former state and for all his life fighted the conquerors as a writer. Reymont ived in the Prussia part. Tzar's government led the politics of pressure and russificated every part of Poles' life. It was to eliminate national consciousness, tradition and even the language. Poland had alien emperiors' administration and law. Russian and German was a first language at schools. Polish territory was exploited for invaders the area of natural, source, man-power, taxes and recruits.
          In that situation Poles those in country and at the emigration tried to fight for independence by forming secret organizations or self - educational circles. In cosequence during a hudred year long captivity several times broke out insurrections, but to no avail, it brought only worse restrictions, confiscations and arrests. Sienkiewicz's and Reymont's generation lived after 1863 risings, which changed Polish way thinking. Before January Insurrection people belived in fight, believed that it can bring independence and also international political situation seemed to be profitable for these plans. Poles lived with hope that the rising would change everything - it was the time of Romanticism.
          After the insurrection former plans seemed to be completely unreal, the rising showed the weakness of Poles and dispeled hope. They had to find a new way to retrive in future their own state. In time new programm appeared: the idea that first they had to achieve strong economical position and then they would have chances in fight for their country.That's how started a new period called Positivizm. It's main purposes were: work, educxation and progress. An ideal person was somebody descended from the lowest part of society who by a hard work obtained education and social position. Positivists have associated patriotism with insurrection, and this one was associated with unnecessary sacrifices death and persecutions. Such an opinion was a danger for Polish national conciousness, but some people disagreed with such a view, especially the "old" part of sociaty - the coservatives. They have discus with "young" people - liberals and they have been doing everything to persevere national consciousness in young generations.
          Also the literature and art began to propagate national tradition and history of Poland. Artur Grottger - a drawer and a painter remained the insurrection. The next was Jan Matejko - famous Polish painter whose works till today shape Poles' imaginations about historical events. Reymont and Sienkiewicz have been using this kind of novels - historical novels like a chance to speak about politics protest against the activities of Russian and Prussian authorities and remain to world about Poles. There was only one way to do this: by achievements in science and culture.
          Therefor Sienkiewicz's Nobel Prize had also political meaning - it attracted world's attention to Poland. That's how the nobelist understood his award - he thanked as a son of Poland for "Polish work and Polish creative strength". Coming back to the politics. After insurrection all the people had believed in capitalism, but in time, when it turned out that the system divides the society instead of consolidateing it and is profitable only for small group of it appeared a new problem - the poetry of working class. After the war between Russian and Japan it caused political briskness. In Russian in 1905 half a million workes went on strike and the began there revolution which displayed also on Polish territory. People has demonstrated and workers' parties called upon them to strike. Not long after the young people joined the revolution. They demanded fundamential rights (such as the liberty of speech and press), and improvement of the conditions of work, some wanted to fight for independece. Tsarism "pacifyed" Polish and Russian territory. In practice it meant ruthless terror. The revolution ended in 1907, its main purposes hasn't been realized, but proletariate has gained better conditions of work and better salary. Sienkiewicz condemned the revolution and his opinion expressed in a novel titled: "Whirls".
The last historical event which the great writers has lived through was the first world war.