Marc Bernard: le voyage aux origines

Abstract

In this article we look at the work of Marc Bernard, winner of the Goncourt prize in 1942 for his work Pareils à deux enfants. Bernard is considered to belong to the movement of proletarian literature in France. Our analysis focuses mainly on two accounts which deal with the subject of travel: Mayorquinas and Vacances, which reflect the different meanings conveyed by the author when dealing with this subject. Later, Bernard relates these travel experiences to what he himself felt during the long periods of time spent in Mallorca, the land of his ancestors. The lyricism of his work evolves from the description of the landscape to his inner world. The island of Mallorca gradually becomes a special part of his work as a whole. Travel turns into a search for identity and is filled with ontological significance.