«European Home» Concept seen in French Art and Culture (on the Example of M. Houellebecq’s Work)

Abstract

The literature of modern France vividly expresses the cultural element of the form of «métissage» the essential features of which are today conceptualized by the concept of «European home». Undoubtedly, its examination through the lens of cultural studies allows the tracing of not only the logicalconceptual but also the empirical content of the concept is of particular interest. In addition, our huge interest lies within the identification and the description of the contradictions between «general» and «special» in the private lives of individuals as well as in that of entire nations in the context of globalization, European integration, and technological revolution. The work of the famous French writer Michel Houellebecq provides rich material for the study of the above topic. In his books, M. Houellebecq identified several problems that, according to him, contribute to the accelerating decomposition of unique European cultures. Among them, one can distinguish the dominance of the European and national bureaucracies, the destruction of the historically established cultural and casual lifestyle, and their standardization. The writer also raises a more general issue about the causes of the modern man’s distorted identity. In his opinion, these problems basically originate from the loss of religious and moral values, leading to confusion and weakness of will, turning the daily existence of a demoralized individual to a routine of simulated consumption. Inevitably, such simulation destroys emotionality, depriving a person of proper human feelings, and prevents them from creating stable relationships with other people. Houellebecq describes the tectonic shifts in the cultural life of France along with the perception of a tragic change in the identity of the European people, whose home is «everywhere» and «nowhere».