Abstract
Alexandra Kleeman features the character of a young woman in her debut novel You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine (2015). In it, she recounts her coming to grips with the influence of the mass consumer society in which she finds herself, her relationships with those closest to her, and the definition of her own identity in this context. Similarly, in The Flame Alphabet (2012), Ben Marcus evokes the disappearance of language that threatens family equilibrium. The two texts can be linked because they explore similar themes.
Extract
[...] The texts act as a distorting mirror of our contemporary way of life, with the challenges and anxieties that accompany our times. Finally, I loved the mise en abyme with the contradictions and general hypocrisies that undermine our society. The characters, often disembodied and sanitized, are incapable of connecting with anything else and of living. The answers to the questions posed are not easily accessible, and the end of the novels can leave us wondering about the future. However, this questioning can only be salutary, showing the urgent need to act and save the truth. [...]
[...] It's a reflection on the impact of communication and words on human beings. If this faculty dies, all humanity disappears with it, because we can't bear not to speak to our loved ones. It's also a call for mutual understanding, particularly between people of the same age or of a different generation, as the gulf that is created can lead to misunderstanding and conflict, while some knowledge is forgotten by society. The quirky tone soon gives way to injunctions and dystopia, with slogans and flattering portraits. [...]
[...] In conclusion, these are pleasant tales that blend reflection, social satire and a message of hope. We readily identify with the narrator, whose complexity and singularity in wanting something different takes us in. It's also a call to follow one's own identity, avoiding any notion of conformism. True courage lies in pursuing one's own path and living one's own experiences. In the same way, the end of the second novel, for example, closes with prayer and recollection, so that religion can have an impact and the two women can escape. [...]
[...] You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine - Alexandra Kleeman (2015); The Flame Alphabet - Ben Marcus (2012) - The Impact of Communication and Words on Human Beings Alexandra Kleeman features the character of a young woman in her debut novel You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine (2015). In it, she recounts her coming to grips with the influence of the mass consumer society in which she finds herself, her relationships with those closest to her, and the definition of her own identity in this context. [...]
[...] Too much contact with a child can lead to total mutism on the part of the adult. Consequently, children are deliberately set aside and isolated so that they can develop without harming the adults. This parallels the end of innocence and happiness within families. Only the construction of a stable, solid identity allows us to stand back critically and know our own intentions in an alienating, dehumanized world. In the end, the protagonists demonstrate that it is desirable but dangerous to free oneself from one's chains to build an individual road to authenticity. [...]
