Arts & Ideas French writing and politics
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Jan 17, 2018 Leïla Slimani, a celebrated French author known for her novel 'Lullaby,' shares insights on her new role in promoting French culture. Emile Chabal, an academic from the University of Edinburgh, discusses Sabri Louatah's 'Savages: The Wedding,' exploring themes of identity and political tension in modern France. They delve into the complexities of caregiving relationships in post-colonial contexts, the impact of colonialism on literature, and the vital role writers play in shaping political discourse and cultural identity.
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Shock To Invite Investigation
- Leïla Slimani uses a shock opening to force readers into an investigative mode about ordinary families and hidden violence.
- She frames the novel as an exploration of why evil happens rather than a blame exercise.
Intimacy Entwined With Power
- Slimani highlights the nanny relationship as intimate yet defined by power and economic inequality.
- She argues that ambiguity and hidden violence are intrinsic to domestic employer-employee dynamics.
Subverting Nanny Stereotypes
- Slimani deliberately made the nanny white to emphasise loneliness beyond ethnic identity.
- She wants to show complexity beyond clichéd racial pairings in nanny narratives.