Gombrowicz spent 24 years (1939-63) in voluntary exile in Argentina. His writings were banned in turn by the Nazis, the Stalinists, and the Polish government.
Gombrowicz described his first novel, Ferdydurke, as the « grotesque story of a gentleman who becomes a child because other people treat him like one. » The dominant theme of his writings is the innate immaturity of human beings. He portrays humanity as incapable of understanding the world without depending on the spurious knowledge and shallow opinions of others. The resulting sadomasochistic relationships, in which individuals hide their own ignorance and uncertainty while constantly trying to expose it in others provide the substance of Gombrowicz’ rather eccentric plots.