Metaphorical Effects in the Works of Annie Ernaux

Abstract

While writing her fourth book, La Place (1984), Ernaux abandoned the genre of the novel and adopted a new prose style that was devoid of metaphor, and other hallmarks of literary writing in favor of a "flat" style. In this study, I show that Ernaux's writing is not as "flat" as it appears to be, and that the author has been maneuvering around her ambivalence to metaphor--and its strong association with literary style--for a long time. An attentive reading, as I have illustrated, reveals new dimensions in her writing and opens up her works to fresh interpretations. An appreciation for the evolution of her style, and the artistic effects hidden below her écriture plate, requires, however, a familiarity with her oeuvre as a whole and active reflection on the reader's part. This dissertation emphasizes Ernaux's approaches to metaphor throughout a body of work that now spans four decades.