Entre Conformisme et subversion: La Portée du paratexte dans L'œuvre d'Annie Ernaux

Abstract

Originally from a working-class background, now an established writer, Annie Ernaux has always displayed an interest in inequalities, whether they be social, economic, or cultural. Her texts reflect her conviction that literature is imbued with a political scope. Ernaux uses paratext to express her beliefs and denounce inequalities at work in society, but also in literature. In this article, I study the titles, epigraphs, and footnotes of Ernaux's works in order to evaluate the meaning of the notions of freedom and engagement for the author. After establishing the theoretical ground for this analysis by referring to Genette's work on paratext, I analyse the specificity of the use of paratext by Ernaux. I argue that while complying with the elitist nature of paratext, Ernaux uses paratextual devices in order to transgress limits and boundaries. Finally, I question the limits of the use of paratext by Ernaux and suggest that paratext can be read as a mise en abyme of Ernaux's project as a writer.