The socrealistic period of literature was followed by the period of the Polish Thaw. That system, which imposed a ,,black and white“ view of reality in which there are those who support it and those who oppose it, began to experience the crisis. Socio-political changes in October 1956 announced a break-up with the repressive ideology of the state, which tried to subordinate all segments of public life to itself. A suppressed individual began to find his voice in the public space. Marek Hłasko fit in well in such circumstances. His stories of alienated, rebellious characters and the cruelty of life were interpreted as exposing the lies of propagated utopia. Apart from the events of the Polish Thaw and the rejection of socrealistic principles, Hłasko's creativity was influenced by Western culture and the philosophy of existentialism. Hłasko became the voice of a generation that embodied personal desires for diversity and rebellion. Nonetheless, his image changed throughout the years. As the Polish Thaw was approaching to an end, the public opinion about him was becoming more and more negative. The aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between the individual and the collective in the prose of Marek Hłasko. The focus was on his works written in Poland through which we analyse the transition from the author's initial belief in socialist ideas to the demonstration of an alternative reality. This thesis touches on his autobiography from which the mechanisms of creating his own image and the ,,true fabrication“ are being read. This thesis is showing that Hłasko's works can not be interpreted without the historical context and understanding the author's character.