Evaluating La Francophone: Myths and Realities

Abstract

"At the moment, French seems to be engaged in a losing battle against American English in the world. To fight this trend, a multinational group of some 44 authors who write in French, have proposed, in a manifesto/, /the following remedy: uncouple the French language from France, turn French literature into a “world literature” written in French, and get rid of the word “Francophone”. But guardians of the “pure” French language (mainly from mainland France) extolling the superiority of the language of Molière, Voltaire and Hugo have retorted that this is tantamount to blasphemy. Representing the centralizing mentality of France - which has been entrenched since the 17^th century - these “purists” of the French language are at odds with the ambition of universality proposed by the 44 authors, except in terms of an assumed superiority. Still, the 44 signatories of the manifesto argue that it is time for mainland France to stop looking down on “Francophone authors” (as foreigners writing in French are known) because these very novelists – many from former French colonies - hold the key to energizing French literature. For this to happen, they say, the French language must be freed from “its exclusive pact” with France.

What is clear from this is that “Francophone” has now become a politically charged concept, one that politicians like Nicolas Sarkozy (forever draping himself in the French flag) applaud as a tool for promoting French abroad and others, like the manifesto's signatories, resent as a prescription for devaluing the language when used by non-French writers. This paper will examine this often conflicting rapport that exists between the so-called “pure” French speakers of Mainland France and the “other” French speakers (Francophones) from the former colonies of France and French Canada. At the moment, French seems to be engaged in a losing battle against American English in the world. To fight this trend, a multinational group of some 44 authors who write in French, have proposed, in a manifesto/, /the following remedy: uncouple the French language from France, turn French literature into a “world literature” written in French, and get rid of the word “Francophone”. But guardians of the “pure” French language (mainly from mainland France) extolling the superiority of the language of Molière, Voltaire and Hugo have retorted that this is tantamount to blasphemy. Representing the centralizing mentality of France - which has been entrenched since the 17^th century - these “purists” of the French language are at odds with the ambition of universality proposed by the 44 authors, except in terms of an assumed superiority. Still, the 44 signatories of the manifesto argue that it is time for mainland France to stop looking down on “Francophone authors” (as foreigners writing in French are known) because these very novelists – many from former French colonies - hold the key to energizing French literature. For this to happen, they say, the French language must be freed from “its exclusive pact” with France.

What is clear from this is that “Francophone” has now become a politically charged concept, one that politicians like Nicolas Sarkozy (forever draping himself in the French flag) applaud as a tool for promoting French abroad and others, like the manifesto's signatories, resent as a prescription for devaluing the language when used by non-French writers. This paper will examine this often conflicting rapport that exists between the so-called “pure” French speakers of Mainland France and the “other” French speakers (Francophones) from the former colonies of France and French Canada. "