Revolt, Revolution, Evolution. Notes on the Social Novels of Rosny aîné
Jean-Michel Pottier
Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne , Francehttps://orcid.org/0009-0000-2713-543X
Abstract
At the turn of the 19th century, Rosny aîné was a writer known for his participation in the Manifeste des Cinq in 1887, and for writing a series of novels marked by the evocation of revolt, a theme often present in his social novels: Bilatéral, mœurs révolutionnaires in 1887, Les Âmes perdues in 1899, La Vague rouge, roman de mœurs syndicalistes in 1910. Behind the plots, which ‘vary in interest’, the author sets out to analyse what was being debated at the time: social issues and political context. The characters he portrayed in his stories rebel against their personal situation. They oppose certain aspects of society and send out a message; their rebellion is also a sign of their freedom. In addition to the novels, there are many prefaces that introduce the author’s arguments and reflections on revolt. From the necessary preconditions for revolt (humiliation and submission) to its political and moral dimensions, the prefaces provide an ‘accompanying discourse’ on revolt. In this way, the novels and the prefaces help to reveal the importance of the motif that gives meaning to the works of Rosny aîné.
Keywords:
Rosny aîné, novel, sacrifice, revolt, preface, hero, libertyReferences
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