Le regard des autres dans Le Joker de Jean Muno
Others look in Joker by Jean Muno

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Summary/Abstract: The theme of look, omnipresent in the writing of Jean Muno, is examined particularly carefully in Joker. The novel tells, in a little parodistic way, thestory of the social promotion of Alfons Face, an average weak man, whochanges into a charming antiquary. However, this metamorphosis does notresult from the protagonist ambition or his actions, but it is provoked byother people look: its creative power is huge because being watched isequal to existing and becoming visible to the society. The hero stops beinganonymous and becomes what others want him to be, like a chameleon. Helearns how to function in the society and also finds out about its rules:everyone pretends so one must do the same. Mimetism turns out to be anold custom that is widely approved of and maintained in everyday life.Nevertheless, the masquerade does not last long because others look,initially creative, stops following the protagonist and causes his fall: peopledo not look at him any more, which annihilates him in the social sphere. Itturns out that hell is still other people. Muno criticises social cannibalismwhich forces the individual to interpret imposed roles until he loses hisown identity. In his bitter and pessimistic vision of the world man is onlyan actor performing in a human comedy that is in the society.

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