GARY AND BURU AS A DOUBLE ALTER EGO IN THE DANCE OF THE BEAR BY ION D. SÎRBU
GARY AND BURU AS A DOUBLE ALTER EGO IN THE DANCE OF THE BEAR BY ION D. SÎRBU

Summary/Abstract: Often looked upon from the perspective of his biography in relation with his works, Ion D. Sîrbu published the novel “Dansul ursului” [The Dance of the Bear], apparently a children’s book, in 1988. The key protagonists, Buru the Bear and the Gary the donkey are both lively alter egos of the writer. At the surface, the narrative builds on characters whose life is upset by World War II, while in fact the main theme concerns physical and intellectual freedom. This paper draws on studies referring to repression under the communist regime (Mareș, 2011), the novelist’s personal correspondence (2020, 1998, 1994) and his confessions (2009), to examine whether, and how, the imaginary has its roots in one’s personal experience. What happens to humans, domestic and wild animals when they lose the routine and values of their existence? Who are Gary and Buru, in fact? Is this work truly “a novel for children and grandparents” as the subtitle states? While interest in Sîrbu’s personality and works does not fade, this particular narrative opens as a combination of multiple connections, resistance and learning.

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