The Lack of Man in Lac Léman

The narrator of Hubert Aquin’s novel Next Episode cannot breathe; he’s drowning. The author presents water as a deadly force that has the ability to stifle life. Aquin employs the characteristics of water to represent the narrator’s inability to express his national identity and therefore himself. Multiple symbols are used throughout the book, such as fire and ice, but water is an overpowering and important aspect of the book because it conveys a sense of inertia in the individual. This notion of water is connected to the repression of Quebec nationality. The book discusses water in a variety of different contexts: as the primary foundation for the story (as interpreted by the translator), as a metaphor for self and as a replacement for language. Water, weaved into a nationalistic allegory, is given conflicting attributes and is both a life giver and life taker simultaneously. This double approach to the basic element of water embodies both his drive to express him nationality and his incapacity to authentically vocalize his own existence.

The tale begins below the waters of Lac Léman, as the narrator states “it’s in the area of this invisible lake that I’ll set my story” (4). The lake is central to the story, as it is this water (or water which flows from it) that he speaks of in terms of the self and language. The place names of this body of water are also significant for French-Canadian nationality. The translator Sheila Fischman has as much literary power as the narrator. This is because without having read the French edition of the text, the English edition modifies meaning concerning the image of water. Fischman does this by consistently using the French name for the lake “Lac Léman” instead of using its English name “Lake ...

... middle of paper ...

...erves to corroborate the asphyxiation of a definitive French-Canadian national narrative. Water at once embodies the narrator’s want to express his nationality and personal identity, but also his inability to do so. Ultimately, Water becomes a type of liquid courage for the narrator that never produces substantial results, so he looks towards a future revolution to conceive a genuine national identity.

Works Cited

Aquin, Hubert. Next Episode. Trans. Sheila Fischman. Toronto: McClelland & Steward Ltd. 2010. 1,4, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24-25, 46, 49, 52, 53, 67, 74, 84, 122, 128.

Stewart, Susan Louise. “Beyond Borders: Reader ‘Other’ Places in Children’s Literature.” Children’s Literature in Education 39.2 (2008): 95-105. 98. Springer E-Books. Proxy. Queen’s University Lib., Kingston. 1 Nov. 2010 < http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.queensu.ca/books/ >