A tightrope walker over the abyss of normal abnormality

Abstract

This article presents a discussion of a pervert and neurotic pattern of behavior that is displayed by both a narrator and a novel’s characters. In Ferdydurke one can find ideas which were popular in medicine and psychoanalysis at that time, i.e. such as that normality is a social construct. We value what is “normative” in our social milieu for the sake of self-preservation. The common belief that perversion is a sign of a pathological personality should be revised – perversion is only one of the many adaptive strategies that are used in the human world. If we accept Freud’s and Lacan’s belief that every sexual activity that serves a function other than reproduction is a perversion, then we can say that every language activity that serves a purpose other than communication is a perversion as well. Ferdydurke proves that we are all polymorphously perverse and neurotic creatures in our daily lives.

Keywords

• forma
• norma
• perwersja
• neuroza