Spirituality and Action in the Novels of J-M. G. Le Clézio

Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio’s critics have analyzed his spirituality in frameworks drawn from Mircea Eliade and Rudolph Otto. Karl Jaspers’ idea of “the Comprehensive” is a better fit. Le Clézio grounds an ethic of compassion in his spirituality. Contrary to the views of some critics, this ethic can be lived by people from nations that have controlled colonial empires. Étoile errante shows how such an ethic of compassion might even bridge the gap between Israelis and Palestinians. These characterizations apply to many of the novels, though not to all, as demonstrated by Ritournelle de la Faim.