Learning from the Franco-Proven�cals : an investigation of the writing techniques of Marcel Pagnol : [an honors thesis (HONRS 499)]

Abstract

Marcel Pagnol is one of the most outstanding Franco-Provencal storytellers of the twenty-first century. His strength as an author lies in his ability to teach universal lessons through fiction. Souvenirs d'Enfance, a collection of three novels, is a prime example of works containing these lessons. In the novels, Pagnol employs a child character as the teacher and symbol of the lessons he is revealing. In this essay I discuss Pagnol's life and work, the Franco-Provencal influence on his writing, and Pagnol's use of the child character in Souvenirs d'Enfance. In conclusion, I ask the reader to consider whom Pagnol found the most wise and fair, the child or the adult.