O "FERDYDURKE" dla Patricia

FERDYDURKE /FOR PATRICIA/
30.10.2011
UWAGA /z 5.11.2013/: Patricia to moja wnuczka Patrycja, która nim ukończyła Toronto University, „zaliczała” test z polskiego teatru. Napisałem wtedy, dla niej, tych parę słów, by ułatwić jej poznanie Gombrowicza. A po angielsku, bo wydawało mnie się, że lepiej to zrobię niż ona sama
GOMBROWICZ /1904-61/ published “Ferdydurke” in Poland, in 1937. It was his second published book /after “Ivonne, the Princess of Burgund”/. He wrote all other stories in Argentina and published them in France after his accidental emigration in 1939 /II World War/. The best of them was “Trans-Atlantic”.
According to Polish critic Bogdan BARAN the name “FERDYDURKE” derives from “FREDDY DURKEE” - hero of “BABBITT” written by Sinclair LEWIS /1855-1961/, American novelist. FREDDY, as JÓZIO, was also drawn in the repeated childhood.
The idea of the HUMAN BEING is the most important among GOMBROWICZ’s discoveries. His HUMAN is not define /once for forever/, but it formed continually and transforms in our eyes, as a result of the influence of contacts with their surroundings /environment/ and various people. The biggest problem of the HUMAN is the drama of the deformity which arrives from outside:
1. “MAKING MUG” or 2. “ATTACHING ASS” /Polish “PUPA”/ [it means appropriately: 1. obtrude /force/ a social role or mask on somebody, 2. drive in the immaturity].
This dynamic concept of human personality /superiority of EXISTENCE OVER ESSENCE/ had to be, shortly, the kernel of SARTRE’s existentialism, and indeed GOMBROWICZ was precursor of this philosophy.
GOMBROWICZ is not interested in the grotesque. Instead of it, DEFORMITY and RIDICULOUSNESS appear, as the metaphor of the human condition.
Polish critic GŁOWIŃSKI has defined Gombrowicz’s creation as “CONSTRUCTIVE PARODY”.
PS The best Polish writers /for me/ are: LEM and the triad - GOMBROWICZ, WITKACY and SCHULZ.