Abstract

This article explores the thematic and structural significance of the figure of the wound to Jean Genet’s Pompes funebres (1947) and Helene Cixous’s Souffles (1975). With reference to the differences between editions of Pompes funebres and through a detailed genetic study of the hitherto unexamined manuscripts of Souffles (Cixous’s direct response to Genet’s novel), the article demonstrates how (self-)censorship becomes constitutive of narrative as such — of its deconstruction and its reconfiguration. By revealing how the later drafts of Cixous’s book operate to conceal its poignant autobiographical origin, and playing with the author’s ambiguous assertion that ‘Ce qui est coupe repousse’, the article exposes omission as a productive textual strategy.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.