Parisian Space and Memory in Patrick Modiano’s Fiction

Abstract

Patrick Modiano, the recent Nobel winner, depicts in his writings - more than any other French contemporary novelist – the space of France seen as a “terre d’accueil” for many persons, especially Jews who had to leave their homelands during the Second World War. The very heart of France, Paris is not only the “ville-lumière” much praised by artists of all times and cultures, but also a space where memory is present at any street corner, especially the sad and painful remembrance of
anti-Semitism. This is why our paper will deal with some of the most outstanding aspects concerning France during the 20th century, which are related in Modiano’s writings (Ronde de nuit, Livret de famille, Une jeunesse) with memory, especially the Holocaust and the Vichy collaboration experience.