Reading Guide—Desert by Le Clezio

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Reading Group Discussion Questions--Desert 1. Descriptions of the Sahara desert are included in the novel, oftentimes with repeating phrases and details. What purpose do you think the repetitions serve? What are they there for? 2. Women are present in all of Clezio’s novels, and they are depicted as incredible fighters. Do you think Lalla is a strong woman? Why or why not? What are some of the things she fights for? Do you think she succeeds? 3. Clezio has published over 50 books, with his most famous works being those of nomads and childhood memories. Why do you think this is? Is Desert something you would normally read? 4. Lalla goes back to Tangier to give birth. Was that a wise decision? Should she have given birth in Marseille? A different city altogether? 5. The novel has two main characters, Nour and Lalla. Whose story did you prefer? Why? What would’ve made the other character’s a more interesting story? 6. What do you think is the overall objective of the author? Is there more than one objective? Do you think he succeeded in conveying the objective(s)? 7. What is the first line of the novel about? What is the last line about? What is the effect on the reader? 8. How is Marseille depicted in Desert? How does it differ from the Sahara and Tangier? 9. Which of Le Clezio’s recurring themes are found in this novel? Which general themes are included? 10. Why do you think Clezio decides to depict men as unfaithful, greedy, violent, and cowardly? Do you feel these are reflective of his personal life experience? Or simply a literary tool? Le Clezio Was born in Nice, France in the year 1940. His English father and French mother were both from Mauritius, an island country in the Indian Ocean. He didn’t know his father due to World War II; when he was seven years old, his mother sailed to Nigeria to meet his father. He began writing while on that boat. He eventually wrote about his first encounter with his father in The African (published in 2004). He has travelled extensively since 1970, living with Native Americans in the Panaman jungle from 1970-1974 and then teaching French literature at universities in Boston, Bangkok, Mexico, Seoul, and Albuquerque. Clezio feels that he is rootless, a globe-trotting writer. He only has imaginary roots; his only country is the French language. Clezio is bilingual and could have written in English; he claims he chose to write in French because it’s his mother’s tongue. His works Clezio has published over 50 books, all of which are in French. Some of his more prominent works have since been translated into English. Le Proces-Verbal (The Interrogation) Le Livres de Fuites (The Book of Flights: An Adventure Story) Le Deluge (The Flood) Terra Amata Le Guerre (War) Desert Le Chercheur d’or (The Prospector) Etoile Errante (Wandering Star: a Novel) Onitsha Short stories La Fievre (Fever) Mondo et autres Histoires (Mondo and other Stories) La Ronde et autres Faits Divers (The Round and other Cold Hard Facts) Awaite Pawana (Pawana) Books for children Celui qui n’avait Jamais vu la Mer (The Boy Who had Never Seen the Sea) Lullaby Les Geants (The Giants) .

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In the Works of J.M.G. Le Clézio: Their Force, Their Limitations, and Their Relationship to Alterity
University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2007 The Complex Ambivalence of ‘Privileged Moments’ in the Works of J.M.G. Le Clézio: Their Force, Their Limitations, and Their Relationship to Alterity Keith Aaron Moser University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the French Linguistics Commons Recommended Citation Moser, Keith Aaron, "The Complex Ambivalence of ‘Privileged Moments’ in the Works of J.M.G. Le Clézio: Their Force, Their Limitations, and Their Relationship to Alterity. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2007. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/248 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Keith Aaron Moser entitled "The Complex Ambivalence of ‘Privileged Moments’ in the Works of J.M.G. Le Clézio: Their Force, Their Limitations, and Their Relationship to Alterity." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Modern Foreign Languages. Karen Levy, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: John Romeiser, Stefanie Ohnesorg, Lisi Schoenbach Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R.
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Bibliographie
Bibliographie TEXTES DE J.M.G. LE CLÉZIO Fiction Le procès-verbal [1963], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1996. La fièvre, Paris, Gallimard, « Le Chemin », 1965. Le déluge [1966], Paris, Gallimard, « L’Imaginaire », 1994. Terra amata [1967], Paris, Gallimard, « L’Imaginaire », 1998. Le livre des fuites [1969], Paris, Gallimard, « L’Imaginaire », 1996. La guerre [1970], Paris, Gallimard, « L’Imaginaire », 1997. Les géants [1973], Paris, Gallimard, « L’Imaginaire », 1997. Voyages de l’autre côté [1975], Paris, Gallimard, « L’Imaginaire », 1995. Mondo et autres histoires [1978], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1997. Désert [1980], Paris, Gallimard, coll. « Folio », 1997. La ronde et autres faits divers [1982], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1997. Le chercheur d’or [1985], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1997. Printemps et autres saisons [1989], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1999. Onitsha [1991], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1998. Etoile errante [1992], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1998. Pawana [1992], Paris, Gallimard, 1999. La quarantaine [1995], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1997. Poisson d’or [1997], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1999. Hasard suivi de Angoli Mala, Paris, Gallimard, 1999. Coeur brûle et autres romances, Paris, Gallimard, 2000. Révolutions, Paris, Gallimard, 2003. 278 CARNETS DE DOUTE Essais, journaux, biographies,... L’extase matérielle [1967], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio Essais », 1996. Haï, Genève, Skira, « Les sentiers de la création », 1971. Mydriase [1973], Paris, Fata Morgana, 1993. L’inconnu sur la terre [1978], Paris, Gallimard, « L’Imaginaire », 1999. Trois villes saintes [1980], Paris, Gallimard, 1998. Voyage à Rodrigues [1986], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio », 1997. Le rêve mexicain, ou La pensée interrompue [1988], Paris, Gallimard, « Folio Essais », 1998. Sirandanes suivies d’un petit lexique de la langue créole et des oiseaux (avec J.
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République Algérienne Démocratique et Populaire Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de La Recherche Scientifique Université Hadj Lakhdar – Batna Faculté des Lettres et des Langues Département de Français École Doctorale Algéro-Française Antenne de Batna Titre L’exil et l’errance dans Étoile errante de Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio Mémoire élaboré en vue de l’obtention du diplôme de Magistère Option : Sciences des Textes Littéraires Sous la direction du : Présenté et soutenu par : Pr. KHADHRAOUI Saïd Melle LAMMI Ghania Membres du jury : Président : Pr. DAKHIA Abdelouahab Université de Biskra Rapporteur : Pr. KHADHRAOUI Saïd Université de Batna Examinateur : Dr. RAÏSSI Rachid Université de Ouargla Année universitaire 2010/2011 1 Remerciements J’adresse mes vifs remerciements à toutes les personnes qui ont participé de près ou de loin, à l’élaboration de ce modeste travail, je cite particulièrement : Mon directeur de recherche M. SAID KHADHRAOUI pour sa disponibilité et ses précieux conseils. Le responsable de l’École Doctorale M. SAMIR ABDELHAMID. Les membres du jury, pour avoir accepté de lire et d’évaluer ce travail. Tous les professeurs de l’École Doctorale de Français. Et je remercie aussi du fond du cœur ma famille et mes collègues. 2 Table des matières Introduction............…………..…………………………………………………. p.6 Chapitre I: L’exil et l’errance du passé à la contemporanéité p.15 I-1- L’exil et l'errance entre textes sacrés et œuvres profanes…………………. p.16 I-1-1- L'exil et l'errance dans les textes sacrés……………………………………... p.17 I-1-2- L’exil dans la mythologie grecque…………………………………………... p.19 I-1-3 - L’exil dans la tradition romaine…………………………………………….
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CU Scholar Institutional Repository University of Colorado, Boulder CU Scholar French & Italian Graduate Theses & Dissertations French & Italian Spring 1-1-2012 Writing Past and Present: Narrative Structure in the Work of J. M. G. Le Clézio Nicole M. Thorburn University of Colorado at Boulder, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.colorado.edu/frit_gradetds Part of the French and Francophone Literature Commons, and the Modern Literature Commons Recommended Citation Thorburn, Nicole M., "Writing Past and Present: Narrative Structure in the Work of J. M. G. Le Clézio" (2012). French & Italian Graduate Theses & Dissertations. Paper 2. This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by French & Italian at CU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in French & Italian Graduate Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CU Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WRITING PAST AND PRESENT: NARRATIVE STRUCTURE IN THE WORK OF J. M. G. LE CLÉZIO by NICOLE M. THORBURN B.A., University of Wyoming, l993 M.A., University of Wyoming, l995 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of French and Italian 2012 This thesis entitled: Writing Past and Present: Narrative Structure in the Work of J. M. G. Le Clézio written by Nicole M. Thorburn has been approved for the Department of French and Italian _______________________________________________ Dr.
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