“Autobiographicalness” in Les Années of Annie Ernaux

Abstract

This article studies the “autobiographicalness” in Les Années of a French woman writer named Annie Ernaux focusing on historical contexts rather than her personal life. This study was based on autobiographical theory and narratology, including Ernaux’s other literary works published before and after Les Années, and her biography. It was found that Les Années has three autobiographical features. First, the female character, the narrator, and the author, who seem to be characteristically different in the beginning, turn out to share the same personal identity. Second, the photos of the character, described and used as a principal element of her private life, correspond to Ernaux’s photos. Third, the book that the character desires to write looks like Les Années of Ernaux. In other words, the character is the author of Les Années.