Gide's Voyage au Congo: Africa as Début or Encore?

Publisher： Rodopi

ISSN： 0271-6607

Source： French Literature Series, Vol.29, Iss.1, 2002-07, pp. : 133-143

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

For posterity dubbed "l'Insaisissable Protée" by Germaine Brée, André Gide has been considered a model of literary and spiritual reinvention. His travel accounts Voyage au Congo and Le Retour du Tchad are traditionally viewed as departures toward social and political interests, enlarging a highly personal and closed perspective characterizing earlier works. The introductory framings of these travel texts reveal an ambivalence of positioning. Alternately calling forth Joseph Conrad and John Keats as inspirational predecessors, Gide's intention of "beginning" in sub-Saharan Africa is problematized. Through the integration of these elements within the text and their reflection at the conclusion, Gide undermines the trope of the récit de voyage as a chronicle of exploration and discovery while struggling between a redefinition of the colonial relationship and its veritable reinforcement.