Le tourment de l'unanimisme. Les annees de formation de jules romains (1885-1916)
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Abstract EN:
The study of jules romains' works appears to be hampered by the oversimplified perceptions of his formative years. The study of the unpublished or little known texts will enable the reader to go beyond the legend and grasp the elusive reality of the unanimism, which is not theory but rather an aggressive necessity of his personal evolution within the actual circumstances of modern life. Hence the genetic form given to this thesis. Romains replies to the religious, moral and social anguish of the beginning of the century with a poetic experience which communicates both certainty, benevolence and vigour. Vulnerable, through family circumstances, to impressions of dislocation and abandonment, he finds within spontaneous, fortuitous, ephemeral groups, the laboratory of the future being. Having believed that french society was capable of regeneration through an opening into the industrial progress, the media and the universal, as early as 1911, he undergoes the bitter disappointment of seeing public opinion swaying back to bellicose nationalism. Nevertheless he remains convinced of the renovating dynamism of the free groups. - over a period of 30 years, we see romains assume his stature as a writer. Among the difficulties (illness, struggle and quarrels) he evolves towards the expression of a free mode of existence. . . .
Abstract FR:
L'etude de jules romains semble parfois entravee par les perceptions schematiques de ses origines. L'examen des textes inedits ou ignores fera depasser les legendes et saisir la fuyante realite de l'unanimisme, exigence offensive d'evolution personnelle dans le concret de la vie moderne, et non theorie. D'ou le caractere d'etude genetique donne a cette these. Aux angoisses religieuses, morales, sociales du debut du siecle, romains repond par une experience poetique qui communique certitude, tendresse et vigueur. Vulnerable - la famille aidant - aux impressions de dislocation et d'abandon, il cherche dans les groupes spontanes, fortuits, ephemeres, le laboratoire de l'etre futur. Apres avoir cru la societe francaise capable de se regenerer en s'ouvrant au progres industriel, aux communications, a l'universel, romains subit, a partir de 1911, la deconvenue de voir l'opinion revenir au nationalisme belliqueux. Il demeu- re neanmoins persuade du dynamisme renovateur des groupes libres. Sur trente annees, on voit donc romains prendre sa stature d'ecrivain. Parmi les difficultes (maladies, luttes, querelles), il evolue vers l'expression d'une manie- re plus libre d'exister. Passant du mysticisme maeterlinckien au "realisme" claude- lien, il renouvelle constamment le style de l'eveil interieur. Aux marges des pen- sees anarchiste et socialiste, il oeuvre a un nouvel age de la conscience. Reconci- liant l'esprit moderne et la poesie, il elabore une sagesse (la "bonne volonte") et une politique (l'"europeisme").