Who ate the Galosh? Inspiration from Kornel Makuszynski in Romain Gary’s The Promise at Dawn

In his autobiographical novel, Promise at Dawn, Romain Gary, in addition to numerous confabulations, also made several borrowings from various works of world literature; a considerable number of these have been identified by researchers. The article adds to this list the hitherto undiscovered plagiarism of Bezgrzeszne lata [Innocent Years] by Kornel Makuszyński, a writer whom Gary read in his youth. One of the most recognisable episodes of Promise at Dawn – the story of the author’s/narrator’s childhood love for Valentina, for whom he ate, among other things, a kilo of cherries with seeds or, finally, the eponymous galosh – bears a striking resemblance to the description of narrator’s love for Inka Leszczyńska in Innocent Years.

In addition to this connection, there are other, less obvious similarities between the two works, related to the authors’ creative paths, their first literary attempts or difficulties at school, and the subsequent experience regarding their first publications. There are also similarities between the authors themselves, both achieving ‘celebrity’ status through their writing successes, both equally averse (with reciprocity) to any avant-garde or political involvement, both adhering to humanist ideals in their writing and seeking to right wrongs and injustices, each in their own way. 
 

W autobiograficznej powieści Obietnica poranka Romain Gary, prócz licznych konfabulacji, dokonał też wielu zapożyczeń z rozmaitych dzieł literatury światowej. Znaczna część z nich została zidentyfikowana przez badaczy. Artykuł uzupełnia tę listę o nieodkryty dotąd plagiat z Bezgrzesznych lat Kornela Makuszyńskiego, pisarza, którego Gary czytał w młodości. Jeden z najbardziej rozpoznawalnych epizodów Obietnicy poranka – historia dziecięcej miłości autora/narratora do Walentyny, dla której zjadł między innymi kilo czereśni z pestkami czy wreszcie tytułowy kalosz – jest bliźniaczo podobny do opisu miłości narratora Bezgrzesznych lat do Inki Leszczyńskiej. Oprócz tego nawiązania między oboma utworami istnieją dodatkowe, mniej oczywiste podobieństwa, dotyczące drogi twórczej autorów, pierwszych prób literackich, a trudności szkolnych, a także doświadczeń pierwszej publikacji. Podobieństwa dotyczą też samych autorów – obu osiągających status „celebrytów” dzięki sukcesom pisarskim, obu jednakowo niechętnych (z wzajemnością) wszelkiej awangardzie i zaangażowaniu politycznemu, obu wyznających w swoim pisarstwie ideały humanizmu oraz dążących do naprawy krzywd i niesprawiedliwości – każdy na swój sposób.

In his autobiographical novel, Promise at Dawn, Romain Gary, in addition to numerous confabulations, also made several borrowings from various works of world literature; a considerable number of these have been identified by researchers. The article adds to this list the hitherto undiscovered plagiarism of Bezgrzeszne lata [Innocent Years] by Kornel Makuszyński, a writer whom Gary read in his youth. One of the most recognisable episodes of Promise at Dawn – the story of the author’s/narrator’s childhood love for Valentina, for whom he ate, among other things, a kilo of cherries with seeds or, finally, the eponymous galosh – bears a striking resemblance to the description of narrator’s love for Inka Leszczyńska in Innocent Years.

In addition to this connection, there are other, less obvious similarities between the two works, related to the authors’ creative paths, their first literary attempts or difficulties at school, and the subsequent experience regarding their first publications. There are also similarities between the authors themselves, both achieving ‘celebrity’ status through their writing successes, both equally averse (with reciprocity) to any avant-garde or political involvement, both adhering to humanist ideals in their writing and seeking to right wrongs and injustices, each in their own way.