THE IRONY OF THE ROMANESQUE IN ANDRE GIDE'S NOVEL "ISABELLE"

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THE IRONY OF THE ROMANESQUE IN ANDRE GIDE'S NOVEL "ISABELLE"

Journal Title: The Journal of International Social Research - Year 2016, Vol 9, Issue 42

Abstract

The classic novel has a tradition supported by its strong fundamentals.The classic novelist presents us an interesting, fascinating event around which turn a lot of characters whose feelings and behaviours, are deeply described. André Gide opposes to the classic novel arriving to the apex with Balzac’s novels and its traditional forms. He makes it problematic with its classic plot, manner of narration, psychological and phisical descriptions of hereos and spatio-temporal framework. Therefore, in his works Gide criticizes ironically and satirically this traditional novela and its elements containing a romanesque structure. In Gide’ five novels named Andre Walter's Books (Les Cahiers d’André Walter), The Immoralist (L'Immoraliste), The Narrow Gate (La Porte étroit), Isabelle, The Rural Symphony (La Symhonie Pastoral) it is seen a protagonist trying to create firstly an absolute and unchangeable doctrine for himself, then feeling repulsion from his romanesque world while making contact with the external world and real life and afterward jugding and criticizing his former senses. A three-stage psychological evolution is seen in this protagonist: 1-the protagonist, firstly becomes conscious of a fantastic and absolute doctrine he constituted divergently with the real life for himself; 2- When he mets with the real life his mind is confused; 3- Finally he escapes from his former dreams and he judges ironically them. In this anti novel, the romanesque illusion is ironically interrogated and criticised and its dangers for readers is revealed. Gide warns indirectly readers by pointing out the negative effects on the hereo. Gide ironizes this romanesque adventure of the protoganist and gives a critical tone In Isabelle, the protagonist Gérard considers as written for him a love letter written for another that he found in a rundown shack. He falls in love with the heroine Isabelle whose photographe is seen by chance by him. Basing on the observations made in the mansion, he believes that, one day, the imaginary heroine Isabelle embellishing his dreams would come. Gerard himself creating an imaginary world runs after pipe dreams. It is possible to see the romanesque elements in his behaviors and his speeches during the course of the story. He turned into a crazy lover when he found the love letter. The fact that he meets with the real Isabella glorifying his dreames causes that he is disappointed. The real Isabella destroyed the imaginary Isabella. The disappointment of Gerard prevents itself that the reader imitates and emulates him because Gerard has been awakened from the illusion created by imaginary Isabella. In this way the novel refutes itself. Gide desires that his work corrodes and refutes itself in order to prevent that the romanesque illusion fascinates and captivates the the reader. Gide says “Every my book refute itself in itself, not explicitely but implicitely and it shouldn’t be based on any idea… I want that it denies and annihilate itself in itself”. In brief in his novel Isabelle the french novelist Gide ironises the romanesque by saying the opposite of what he wants to say through the irony art. So Gide utilizes the romanesque elements of the classical novel not to confirm them but to ironise them. Firstly he creates the romanesque heroes and then he develops them physically and psychologically in the plot, after that he makes them ridiculous. His purpose is to hinder that the readers imitate the heroes created in the imaginary world of the novel and they don’t identify with them. With these literary specifications Isabelle is a anti novel.

Authors and Affiliations

Fuat BOYACIOĞLU

Keywords

EP ID EP250053
DOI 10.17719/jisr.20164216127
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