Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the link between the elements of the Nouveau Roman written in the post World War II era and the political, social, and cultural dynamics of its time. More precisely, the study focuses on the military developments, on the political polarity, and on the scientific discoveries influencing France in the early and mid 20th century. It takes into account some of the major global events – including World War II, the Cold War, and the findings of the Theory of Relativity – in order to explore how they shaped people’s views of the world and of each other. The study traces the manner in which the changed worldview and self-perception of the authors of the Nouveau Roman found their way into the novel, making it embrace subjectivity and redefine the heroic image of a human. The primary sources of research include both theoretical and literary works of three authors of the Nouveau Roman: Alain Robbe-Grillet, Nathalie Sarraute, and Marguerite Duras. The literary works feature Duras’ Moderato Cantabile, Sarraute’s Childhood, and Robbe-Grillet’s Snapshots. The theoretical works feature Robbe-Grillet’s influential collection of essays For a New Novel, Sarraute’s Age of Suspicion, and Duras’ Writing, as well as her 1993 interview. For historical and social references the study draws upon Herbert Lottman’s The Left Bank: Writers, Artists, and Politics from the Popular Front to the Cold War, as well as books and essays dedicated to the circumstances and the literary criticism of the Nouveau Roman. The study confirms that the Nouveau Roman of Robbe-Grillet, Sarraute, and Duras was equally influenced by the historical and social developments of the 1940s and the 1950s, which produced such distinctive literary traits as the abandonment of political cause, the use of multiple perspectives, the emphasis on the relative nature of reality, and the necessity of subjectivity.