French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Jauer, L'Allemagne d'Aragon
Other Literary Studies

Annick Jauer
L'Allemagne d'Aragon
Presses de l'Université de Provence
2007
ISBN: 978-2-85399-664-8
35.00 €

Publisher's Overview:

The manifold presences of German culture in Aragon's work act as both a catalyst and a revelation of the author's stance toward reality and History.
Initially, Aragon perceived Germany as a mythical and idyllic country: through its philosophers, it shaped him from a thoroughly idealistic perspective. During the First World War and the subsequent occupation of Alsace and the Saar by French troops, Aragon experienced reality firsthand. Germany formed the setting for this encounter, which would profoundly influence the writer's future perception of the country.
In the 1920s, Germany represented a means for him to rebel against a bourgeois, conformist, and Germanophobic society. Marxism, a growing attention to the real Germany through encounters with exiled German revolutionaries, and later the war itself allowed the mythical weight of this country to be both transcended and re-channeled into revolutionary mysticism and the demands of political struggle.
Beginning in the 1950s, a process of self-examination forced by ideological compromises compelled Aragon to re-examine the origins of his destiny and aspirations, leading him back to his formative years. In this endeavor, the German landscape—crucial to his development—provided the framework within which he reassessed his perception of myths, reality, and their interrelation. Through Germany, myth is finally and clearly recognized as a necessary mediation of reality, even though the subject ultimately surrenders in a tragic acknowledgment of the omnipotence of reality through the lens of History.

Annick JAUER holds a doctorate in literature, is an *agrégée* in literature, and serves as a Senior Lecturer (PRAG) at the University of Provence.

Annick Jauer examines how German philosophy, literature, and historical encounters shaped the intellectual trajectory of Louis Aragon, a central figure of French twentieth-century letters. Tracing the evolution from an idealistic fascination with romantic myths to a politically engaged Marxist perspective, the volume illuminates the tensions between artistic imagination and historical reality. The author demonstrates how Germany served for Aragon as both an ideological battleground and a profound catalyst for personal and creative self-examination across shifting historical epochs.

This scholarly study offers valuable insights for readers interested in French literature, intellectual history, and the intricate intersections between art and politics. By focusing on Aragon's sustained engagement with German culture, Jauer provides a nuanced framework for understanding the mechanisms of myth-making and ideological commitment in modern literature. It will particularly engage researchers and advanced students examining the reception of foreign cultures in French avant-garde writing and the legacy of the surrealist movement.