| Popis: |
The essay looks at the novel «On Wooden Tablets: Apronenia Avitia» (1984) by a contemporary French writer Pascal Quignard. It focuses on the aspect of corporeality in the novel as one of the key factors instrumental in the reactualization of anсient history. The novel is written in the format of personal notes made by the protagonist Apronia Avitia on the wooden tablets during the period of the Roman Empire’s decline. Notes in the book are preceded by the fictional biography of the main character which initially seems to be historically true. The author inscribes Apronenia Avitia in a wider narrative of the real historical events. To begin with, corporeal discourse, which is attributive to these notes, appears as one of the most significant aspects of this contemporary novel about the ancient world. It is presented mostly through the images of old age and erotic memories. Then, the analysis of corporeal images represented in the novel enables understanding of the connection between the heroine and history. The corporeality in this novel expresses the attitude of the main character towards the liminal period in history, which she witnesses. Corporeal images in the novel also express the reluctance of Apronenia Avitia to recognize significant historical and ontological changes, her unwillingness to accept the proximity of death and the finality of the epoch. |
