Abstract
Scholars have hailed Wendy Delorme's first novel, Quatrième génération (Grasset, 2007), and subsequent narratives as pioneering for their introduction of Queer Studies, gender performativity, sex-positive feminism, genderqueer and trans* identities to a mainstream French audience. Researchers have, however, and thus far, rarely focused on the more literary aspects of Delorme's books. This article suggests that Quatrième génération also constitutes a neopicaresque narrative since Delorme takes both her protagonist, Marion, and her readers on a literal and metaphorical learning journey through queer and sex-positive feminist experiences. More specifically, the picaresque topoï of Bildung and travelling fully participate in Delorme's goal of disseminating marginalized yet empowering perspectives. She does so in Quatrième génération through the exploration of sexualized spaces that double as places for Marion's (and, by proxy, the readers’) apprentisssage, through underscoring the power of words and the necessity of using appropriate LGBTIQA+ terminology, and through a critique of gender identities and (hetero)sexuality.
Published Version
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