Distinction: family novel — novel of the family

Abstract

This text will attempt to distinguish between two aspects of the novel whose content is the family, its life and (its inner relationships ie the family novel and the novel of the family. Roman des origines et origines du roman by Marthe Robert whose starting position is Freud’s text The family novel of neurotics is the theoretical basis of the article. We determine the central heroes of mythic stories where we distinguish between two models (Oedip — Prometheus) and their functioning is compared with the functioning of fairy-tale heroes. Applying this to the contemporary French novel of the family, Les Thibault by Roger Martin du Gard, it is discovered thait the heroes of this novel represent a combination of these prototypes. During the naturalistic period the novel of the family ought to have been a document of the family which would have included a modified interpretation of the family sin (heredity) ie something resembling a scientific study. According to Zola the family novel is not possible if it is not at the same time a novel of the family. However, there exist novels in world literature which represent a deviation from this code. The heroes who bind the family together and those that cause it to disintegrate will be identified, the disintegration of the family being the disintegration of the novel of the family itself.