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Neophilologus (2012) 96:523540
DOI 10.1007/s11061-011-9288-7
Annelies Schulte Nordholt
Published online: 4 September 2011 The Author(s) 2011. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Abstract In Patrick Modianos inquiry on Dora Bruder, photographical images mostly portraits of Dora and her parentsplay an important role. But in the original edition, these photographs are not reproduced, they are only described. We thus have to do with prose images, with an ekphrasis from existing photographs. In later editionsespecially the American and Japanese translationswe nd reproductions of these photographs. Their addition to the text modies the status of it, making it into a biography or document. But our analysis concentrates on the prose images themselves: how do they work out within the narrative? How do they affect the experience of the reader, who sees them without really seeing them? What is their relation to postmemory? How do they include the viewpoint of the narrator, who is describing the photographs? We will see that the prose image is a deliberate choice of Modianos, and that it perfectly ts the narrative formula of Dora Bruder, which is halfway between a memorial and an autobiography. Moreover, it is in harmony with Modianos mode of narration.
Keywords Patrick Modiano Dora Bruder Photography Shoah Postmemory
Comme la plupart des romans prcdents de Modiano, Dora Bruder parut dabord dans la collection blanche de Gallimard (1997). Collection qui propose le texte dans le dpouillement le plus extrme, sans illustrations de couverture ou lintrieur. Le lecteur distrait pouvait donc aisment prendre ce livre pour le nouveau roman de Modiano. Dautant plus que le texte semblait construit sur la mme formule que les prcdents, celle dune enqute : un narrateur anonyme y poursuit une enqute
A. Schulte Nordholt (&)
Dpartement de Langue et Littrature Franaises, Universit de Leiden, PB 9515, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlandse-mail: [email protected]
Photographie et image en prose dans Dora Bruder de Patrick Modiano
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524 A. Schulte Nordholt
problmatique sur une jeune lle disparue pendant lOccupation, Dora Bruder, dont il ignore tout. Pourtant, pour viter tout malentendu, lditeur avait jug bon orner la couverture dun bandeau rouge portant le texte : Ne le 25/02/1926 Paris, 12e .
Certicat dauthenticit : cette fois-ci, il sagissait dune enqute relle sur un personnage ayant vraiment exist,...