L'Equarrissage pour tous: Boris Vian's Reproof of History

UEQUARRISSAGE POUR TOUS: BORIS VIAN'S REPROOF OF HISTORY Alfred Cismaru Now that three decades have elapsed since die invasion of Normandy by Allied forces in World War II; now that patriotic and nationalistic sentiments concerning the event have diminished considerably, if not vanished altogether, it is time, perhaps, to look back at an early account of the fateful military action which led to the liberation of France. It is time, also, because die author of diis account, although deceased since 1959, is beginning to gain more and more in reputation, here and abroad. Although in his own lifetime only the avant-garde literary elite paid attention to diis obscure novelist, playwright, journalist, pamphleteer, songwriter, ballet and opera composer , slighdy existentialist and overly pataphysician mystifier and jester, today he is enjoying no less than a legend on die Continent, his books are being translated in diis country, and there is little doubt about die literary validity of his work. While some of his output is as dated as his popular songs, and his violent rejection of bureaucracy, militarism, and clericalism is repugnant to many, his outspokenness and predilection for paradox and mystification are beginning to earn more and more die appreciation of a contemporary public better prepared by the vogue of die Anti-Theatre, a school for which Vian had played die role of precursor.1 Since he is no longer die idol of a small literary coterie,2 his depiction of D-Day from die vantage point of an (almost) eye-witness has, in addition to its highly humoristic quality, a pertinence of appeal to the present anti-war generation all over die world. Nationalism and patriotism of any sort, Vian claimed, are at best derisory and at any rate unwordiy of die dignity of man. Even when they result in such grandiose events as die 1944 Allied invasion of Normandy, they fail to attain an importance that is superior to any petty, domestic problem. Indeed, in L'Equarrissage pour tous, D-Day is viewed widi a detachment diat is bodi surprising and refreshing. To begin widi, it is interesting to note diat die play first appeared in Les Cahiers de la Pléiade, in the spring of 1948. Jean Paulhan, the magazine's director, had launched his publication with the catchy advertising phrase: "Vive la littérature dégagée"; diis in spite of die then-famous Jean-Paul Sartre and his tenets concerning a littérature engagée. The editorial article of the 'Through his emphasis on the absurd, his ignorance of logical continuity, the frequency in his writings of sub-conversations and other such aliterary devices. 'Sporadically his plays are presented off-Broadway, and some of his compositions have found their way into domestic anthologies designed for use in American colleges and universities. 49 50RMMLA BulletinJune 1974 first issue commented as follows: "Les Cahiers de la Pléiade ne se croient pas tenus de . . . prendre parti dans les grands conflits sociaux ou nationaux. Simplement espèrent-ils qu'il leur sera donné de recueillir divers textes curieux, modestes, et aparemment inutiles, que les autres revues et périodiques , tout occupés de leurs projets grands et nobles, risquent de négliger."3 For reasons which will become obvious after a discussion of die play, L'Equarrissage pour tous fit the motto of die magazine, which constituted a most daring undertaking in the heyday of Sartre and his followers. Also wordiy of note is diat Vian's dedication of die text read: "A mon ennemi intime: Charlemagne," which announced clearly die anti-militaristic point of view of die audior. The story takes place on 6 June 1944 in die town of Arromanches. While bullets fly all around, and shells explode closer and closer, a knacker is concerned exclusively with die problem of whether or not he should marry his daughter to a young German widi whom she has had a liaison for some four years. Although history is being shaped outside, domestic relations remain prominent inside. The dichotomy between what is generally considered as grand, noble and eardi-shaking on die one hand, and what is usually viewed as unimportant, even petty, on the other, persists throughout...