La nature sauvage et ses consommateurs : des stéréotypes du récit de chasse aux lieux communs de la prose écologiste
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Aix-Marseille 1Disciplines:
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Abstract EN:
When one examines the recurring themes in the tales of hunters one realized that they fulfil a double function : on one band they enable the hunter to unashamedly re-live the most equivocal aspectcs of his impact on the natural world; on the other they transform his narrative into a form of implicit self-defence. The thrust of these conventional themes is always the same. It consists invariably of "triumps" that seal the victory of the protagonist and the defeat of his adversaries. These "trimphs" are achieved through a number of symbolical manipulations. The first consiste of the presenting "untamed" nature as a autonomous space. As a "mythical" dimension, spared the assaults of history, nature lends authenticity to those who deserve it and rejects everybody else. A second trick is to present domination as an egalitarian relationship. The most recent dodge is to cunjure up the notions of "proyection" and "services" : one no longer hunts, one protects; one no longer relates with others, one acquires their services. In switching from hunter's stereotyped sagas to the cliches in the ecologist's rhetoric one discovers, against all expectation, a lot of similarities. With the ecologist untamed nature also serves as a neutral backdrop to celebrate the protagonist's virtues. While the type of relationship with others would appear to be new the subtance of the relationship remains the same.
Abstract FR:
Lorqu'on se penche sur les figures recurrentes du temoignage cynegetique on s'apercoit qu'elles remplissent une double tache : d'un cote elles permettent au disciple de diane de revivre sans gene les aspects les plus equivoques de son action sur le monde naturel; de l'autre elles transforment toute narration en une auto-defense implicite. Le contenu de ces figures conventionnelles est toujours le meme : il s'agit de "triomphes" immortalisant la victoire du protagoniste et la defaite de ses adversaires. Ces triomphes sont assures par un certain nombre de manipulations symboliques. La premiere consiste a presenter la nature "sauvage" autonome. Dimension "mythique", soustraite aux affronts de l'histoire, la nature authentifie les sujets qui le meritent et desavoue tous les autres. La deuxieme ruse revient a faire passer tout rapport de domination pour un echange egalitaire. Le pretexte plus recent fait appel aux notions de "protection" et de "service" * on ne chasse plus on protege; on n'echange plus on achete. Lorsqu' on passe du corpus de temoignage stereotypes aux lieux communs de la prose ecologiste, on s'apercoit contre toute attente que les analogies proliferent. Meme ici la nature sauvage fait office de scenario neutre ou celebrer les vertus du protagoniste. Si la forme du rapport a l'autre est appparement renovee, la substance de l'echange reste la meme.