“I” and “We”: Reflections with Witold Gombrowicz. “Diary” by W. Gombrowicz (1953–1969). Part I

In the article, consisting of 2 parts, the author reflects together with the famous Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz on the problems outlined by the writer in his “Diary” (1953–1969). These are the “eternal problems” of the nature of the “I” and the nature of its relationship with society, “We”, the relationship between the national and the transnational, “élan vital” (Bergson) and dying (of man, uniqueness, art), sincerity and the “theatre of masks”, freedom and slavery of form, the nature of art and creativity. The first part of the article examines Gombrowicz’s vision of the real and proper relationship between “I” and “We” (personality and society), the tragic collisions of the individual in a totalitarian society, which suppresses the personal “I” and forces it to put on masks on its self, or, in order to preserve its “I”, to become an individualist opposing himself to society or leaving this society (the phenomenon of emigration) in search of a place for self-realization. The peculiarity of this article is that its author does not distance himself from Gombrowicz, but together with him comprehends himself and his life collisions, in particular, the unbearable feeling of loneliness at times, loneliness in a crowd, mental pain that brings suffering and at the same time reveals the ability to experience the suffering of others, which leads to spiritual improvement.