Job, Meursault, Clamence
Mimetic Theory distinguishes accusation and guilt. Oedipus is « accused » of having killed his father and committed incest with his mother; it does not mean that he is « guilty ». In the Gospels, a woman is « accused » of adultery; but by declaring « that he who has never sin cast the first stone »,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Association Portugaise d'Etudes Françaises
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Carnets |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/carnets/2412 |
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| Summary: | Mimetic Theory distinguishes accusation and guilt. Oedipus is « accused » of having killed his father and committed incest with his mother; it does not mean that he is « guilty ». In the Gospels, a woman is « accused » of adultery; but by declaring « that he who has never sin cast the first stone », Christ makes it clear that this woman is no more « guilty » than those who accuse her. All the Mimetic Theory can then be summarized as a question of quotation marks. When one removes the quotation marks from the word « guilty », when one so speaks of « guilty without quotation marks », one creates victims that one is about to persecute. This article highlights the importance of quotation marks in Girard's analysis of the Book of Job, and the two novels by Camus L’Étranger and La Chute. All of this lead to a question addressed to Mimetic Theory: If « guilty » must always be written in quotation marks, should it not be the same for « innocent »? |
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| ISSN: | 1646-7698 |