Search

Suspension between life and death is not the only one that heroes of Gerorges Perec and Anne Godard, accompanied by a reader, have to undergo. The grammatical second person applied in order to represent the characters implies actually a particular plurality of voices which creates in a paradoxical way these two silent heroes. Moreover, devoid of anchor point unlike other grammatical persons, it makes them constantly suspended in time and space. Therethrough, A Man Asleep and L'Inconsolable cannot be treated just like rewritings of common myths: they represent a new quality in the history of literature, very dynamic and rich in interpretations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of mankind is the history of malaise. Melancholy, discomfort, anxiety or grief are just a few names and examples of this phenomenon. The heroes created by Georges Perec and Anne Godard experience the deep malaise of depression and grief disorder. However, this is not the only common feature of the characters - they are both described by the pronoun "you". Due to its properties, the second-person narration seems to be an effective tool of description of minor and major mental disorders. It helps to situate the heroes between life and death, and it is naturally associated with the concept of the Other, who plays a significant role in creation of a suffering Human being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]