Seeking resistance: the cathartic works of old veterans

Abstract

En quête de résilience: l'écriture cathartique des anciens combattants ABSTRACTThe abundant literary production of the Great War is motivated by the vital need to recount the atrocities of the conflict. The survivors pay tribute to the companions fallen at the front and try to exorcize extremely painful feelings. These poignant pages take the opposite view of the deceitful déclarations of a depraved propaganda which encourages young people to join the army. The survivors of this massacre often suffered from shell shock, a pathology underestimated at the time: as a result, they were considered cowards and liars. In this article, we ask ourselves the following questions: is it possible to exorcize the apocalyptic memories of the trenches? How to survive having lived through such events?