La modification des clichés sur la Seconde Guerre Mondiale dans le roman Aujourd’hui les cœurs se desserrent de Pascale Roze
Changing Clichés of the Second World War in the Novel of Pascal Roze - Aujourd’hui les cœurs se desserrent

Summary/Abstract: The last novel signed by French author Pascale Roze (Goncourt Prize for Le chasseur zéro in 1996) is called Aujourd’hui les coeurs se desserrent (2011) and tells the story of two brothers spanning on two decades during the 20th century. The key moment of their choice takes place during the Second World War when the two were taken prisoners. What the two have in common is the fact that they both managed to escape. The author, who conducted visits on the spot in order to document the exact spatial surroundings of her action, performs discrete shifts in the horizon of expectations of her readers ; she handles differently the topoi of prison, the daily routine of the prisoners (work, food, accommodation), the two transports and the depiction of feelings (fear, horror). The imprisonment experience of the two varies according to its location, duration as well as according to the psychological state of each individual. Despite the happy ending, as the brothers manage to escape, this experience leaves indelible traces on both their lives and implicitly on their families. Firstly, love is seen in a time of war : confusion, shyness, taboos, education and above all the moral principles of society that prevents true feelings from being expressed; it is a silent war with no winner. The feeling to have failed one’s life, despite a successful escape, prevails at the end and will be passed on to the next generation. The myth of Cain and Abel is relived in the social, political and economic context of the 20th century: one era is replaced with another and those unable to adapt remain “prisoners” of their own life philosophies and are condemned to see their businesses “die”. Just like History (with its world war), that has left permanent traces on people’s lives, Society has the same power on those currently engaged in an economic war

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