I. 1866-1876 She had made her debut in 1866 with a short prose work entitled "A Picture from the Hungry Years" ("Obrazek z lat godowych", publ. in the Illustrated Weekly (Tygodnik Ilustrowany), but she made her name particularly as a result of the publication of Martha (Marta) in 1873. After that she became part of the Polish literary scene, and was one of the leading exponents of the "roman à thèse" ("powiesc tendencyjna"), holding closely to the dictates of contemporary Positivist thinking and writing. During this period Orzeszkowa was influenced by the thought of Spencer, John Stuart Mill, Buckle, Bain, Taine, and Renan as well as the Polish thinkers Śniadecki, Libelt, and Krupiński. Two of her other novels Mr Graba (Pan Graba, 1872) and Eli Makover (Eli Makower, 1875) received positive reviews. Apart from publishing a few more novels, she presented her literary programme in the essays (1) "A few remarks about the novel" (Kilka uwag nad powiescia, 1866); (2) "On Translation" (O przekładach, 1972); (3) "Letters on Literature" (Listy o literaturze, 1873). She also commented on contemporary issues such as women's emancipation, (e.g. "A Few Words about Women" - Kilka słów o kobietach, 1870); education of the masses; the development of science, anti-semitism and class discrimination. This period is marked by her strong belief in evolutionism and agnosticism.

II. 1877-1891 This is the phase of Orzeszkowa's greatest literary achievements. Her major and best work includes: Meir Ezofowicz (1879); Ghosts (Widma, 1981); Niziny and The Dziurdzia Family (Dziurdziowie ,1855); and finally her masterpieces On the Banks of the Niemen (Nad Niemnem) and The Boor (Cham, 1988). From 1879 to 1882 she ran her own publishing house in Grodno but due to the Russian Censors' intervention, it was closed down. Orzeszkowa was sentenced to internal exile and was not to leave Grodno for five years.

Orzeszkowa believed as fervently as any Romantic in a special calling for literature. But in the case of Positivist writers, its purpose was to educate, to change people's attitudes and values, to root out class, race and sexual prejudices. Both her novels and her journalism were there as aids in the great mission to assure mankind of its right to participate in progress, to prepare them socially and politically for the future, and to assure them of their rightful place with other nations. She fought for the emancipation of women, the rights for illegitimate children and divorced women. She considered the problems of the Jewish communities in the Polish speaking areas, as well as their assimilation into urban society. Thus the didactic element in her early works is strong and up to 1879 quite propagandistic; however, her optimistic view of the power of the written word as a weapon dissolves by the end of the seventies. Her best novels no longer include black and white heroes, a clear narratorial judgement, or simple plots: a note of pessimism is voiced in her hopes for raising society up from depression. Realism takes over from propaganda, and in search of her characters she visited the whole spectrum of social groups (not only engineers, physicians, and teachers). In her novels The Boor and The Dziurdzia Family the influences of Tolstoy and French/German naturalism can be detected. Her writing dealing with the crisis in convictions (written after 1891) are often considered to be her most interesting works.

III. 1892-1910 During the last years of her life, Orzeszkowa came to recognise limitations of her idealism. She became interested in major philosophical, religious and moral dilemmas of human kind. Her works from that period exhibit a lot of psychological insight and apply lyricism as a stylistic device. Among her great artistic achievements are Melancholicy (a collection of short stories), 1896; Ad astra, 1904; and Gloria Victis (memoirs), 1910, published after the relaxation of the censorship laws in Russia. Her last work warns the younger generation after the 1905 revolution not to have high hopes, and to remember the lessons and disappointments of history.

Kejna Sharratt, Barbara. "Emancipation of Women in Polish Literature," Essays on Polish Literature and Culture. (Toronto: Easy Printing, 1997): 63-74 (Sic! )

Zmigrodzka, M. Orzeszkowa. Mlodosc pozytywizmu. (Warszawa, 1965)