In Other Words A Woman- A Translation of Annie Ernauxs Une Femm
Wesleyan University The Honors College
In Other Words, A Woman: A Translation of Annie
Ernaux’s Une Femme
by
Lisa Kate Sussman
Class of 2009
A thesis submitted to the
faculty of Wesleyan
University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the Degree of Bachelor of Arts
with Departmental Honors in French Studies
Middletown, Connecticut April 14, 2009
1
,In Other Words A Woman- A Translation of Annie Ernauxs Une Femm
Introduction
There are differences in perceived tones of languages, colored by an individual’s
native tongue. A person’s first language will serve as a template against which languages
learned later in life will be compared. Thus, a language’s tone changes based on the way
it is perceived by its listeners, readers, writers. This raises questions for the literary
translator. How much of a text can be systematically translated from one language to
another? What is subtly implied in the original text that may not come through in the
simple systematic translation?
In applying these questions to my own literary translation of Annie Ernaux’s Une
Femme1, I had to begin with another question: What is it that I want to move across the
linguistic border from French into English? My purpose was similar to Ernaux’s stated
purpose in writing this book; she wanted to convey the “truth” of her mother in words.
The truth of her mother, of course, does not exist in the words themselves but perhaps
they point to that truth. It was my undertaking to assume the truth that she believed to be
expressible only in the words she chose and express it differently, or, in fact, prove that
such a truth could be invoked by using different words. In doing so, I had to choose from
among the many linguistic means at my disposal to express what I believed to be
Ernaux’s intentions. In other words, I was faced with the many options of how to say
what Ernaux meant, but in another language. This is a struggle that is universal to
literary translators; there may be many ways of saying essentially the same thing. The
subtle differences among them, however, will dictate the tone and fluidity of a translated
piece of writing.
1 Ernaux, Annie. Une Femme. New York: Schoenhof Foreign Books, 1994.
2
,In Other Words A Woman- A Translation of Annie Ernauxs Une Femm
Une Femme serves as one piece of the mosaic of Ernaux’s personal life
represented by her larger body of work. La Place, La Honte, Ce qu’ils disent ou rien, are
among her numerous (auto)biographical works. Each offers a unique focus on a
particular theme or time period in her life and the lives of those close to her. She does
not approach the autobiography as a singular work, but rather, as her body of work
intrinsically suggests, as the accumulation of stories, observations, memories from
different chronological and emotional perspectives. She uses this technique on a smaller
scale, within Une Femme, to uncover the “truth” of her deceased mother. Through
layering anecdotes, concrete images (sometimes photographs, sometimes entire scenes)
and her present feelings about her mother (as she writes), Ernaux strives to evoke the
whole of her mother’s being.
Ernaux writes in the first person, she employs meta-narrative and seeks to render
the writing process, at least partially, transparent. Through the intimacy and writer-to-
reader trust fostered by this openness, a particular style emerges. She opens the door to a
unique kind of empathy in literature. In any kind of biography, the mere fact of a true
story may give a leg up in the quest for reader empathy, an advantage that is not inherent
in fiction writing. What makes Ernaux’s work remarkable, however, are not just the
truths she tells about the past, but the reasons why she reveals these truths as she does.
Writing is a therapeutic and investigative process for Ernaux, and we are not left to guess
why and in what ways. Just as the mother she describes is brash, indiscrete, Ernaux does
not hesitate to “tell it straight.” Her language is direct and does not seek to soften reality
with extensive use of metaphor. While she does not explicitly state this, her writing style
in Une Femme echoes the frankness embodied in her mother as portrayed in the text.
3
, In Other Words A Woman- A Translation of Annie Ernauxs Une Femm
Ernaux defines her project as an undertaking that she hoped would remain “below
literature.” If this was truly her hope, she may have been dismayed to find it so well
received in the literary world, and addressed in numerous critical essays as a serious
piece of literature. I would not define her work as “below literature,” and in my
translation have treated her work with the same attention to detail that one would give a
more traditional novel or serious piece of literature. Une Femme is certainly different
from traditional fiction or even autobiography; within the text she refers to herself as an
“archivist.” This hints at a rift between the fabric of Ernaux’s life and the text she has
created, and yet one assumes all of her material originates in her life and her family’s
history. The final product is deeply personal, and yet Ernaux does not seem to let
emotionality skew the facts of her mother’s life.
Wherever Une Femme fits into the realm of “literature,” Ernaux’s approach
provides an important example of blurred genre boundaries within a single work. Her
frank and clear tone mimics the unapologetic manner in which she simply lets human
stories speak for themselves, acting as their own form of artistry. She proves that
emotion injects life into history, leaving little need for linguistic embellishments. While
she may be an “archivist,” in this work, she is also a daughter grieving the death of the
central figure of her archive. This connection between writer and subject means that she
is not only able to provide an intimate account of the history, but it becomes an explicitly
personal work that gives the sense of holding nothing back. One nearly has the
impression of reading her personal journal. It seems as if she is only secondarily
conscious of having an audience, but this consciousness ought not be taken for granted.
It comes across in one particular moment, among others, in which she employs meta-
4
Wesleyan University The Honors College
In Other Words, A Woman: A Translation of Annie
Ernaux’s Une Femme
by
Lisa Kate Sussman
Class of 2009
A thesis submitted to the
faculty of Wesleyan
University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the Degree of Bachelor of Arts
with Departmental Honors in French Studies
Middletown, Connecticut April 14, 2009
1
,In Other Words A Woman- A Translation of Annie Ernauxs Une Femm
Introduction
There are differences in perceived tones of languages, colored by an individual’s
native tongue. A person’s first language will serve as a template against which languages
learned later in life will be compared. Thus, a language’s tone changes based on the way
it is perceived by its listeners, readers, writers. This raises questions for the literary
translator. How much of a text can be systematically translated from one language to
another? What is subtly implied in the original text that may not come through in the
simple systematic translation?
In applying these questions to my own literary translation of Annie Ernaux’s Une
Femme1, I had to begin with another question: What is it that I want to move across the
linguistic border from French into English? My purpose was similar to Ernaux’s stated
purpose in writing this book; she wanted to convey the “truth” of her mother in words.
The truth of her mother, of course, does not exist in the words themselves but perhaps
they point to that truth. It was my undertaking to assume the truth that she believed to be
expressible only in the words she chose and express it differently, or, in fact, prove that
such a truth could be invoked by using different words. In doing so, I had to choose from
among the many linguistic means at my disposal to express what I believed to be
Ernaux’s intentions. In other words, I was faced with the many options of how to say
what Ernaux meant, but in another language. This is a struggle that is universal to
literary translators; there may be many ways of saying essentially the same thing. The
subtle differences among them, however, will dictate the tone and fluidity of a translated
piece of writing.
1 Ernaux, Annie. Une Femme. New York: Schoenhof Foreign Books, 1994.
2
,In Other Words A Woman- A Translation of Annie Ernauxs Une Femm
Une Femme serves as one piece of the mosaic of Ernaux’s personal life
represented by her larger body of work. La Place, La Honte, Ce qu’ils disent ou rien, are
among her numerous (auto)biographical works. Each offers a unique focus on a
particular theme or time period in her life and the lives of those close to her. She does
not approach the autobiography as a singular work, but rather, as her body of work
intrinsically suggests, as the accumulation of stories, observations, memories from
different chronological and emotional perspectives. She uses this technique on a smaller
scale, within Une Femme, to uncover the “truth” of her deceased mother. Through
layering anecdotes, concrete images (sometimes photographs, sometimes entire scenes)
and her present feelings about her mother (as she writes), Ernaux strives to evoke the
whole of her mother’s being.
Ernaux writes in the first person, she employs meta-narrative and seeks to render
the writing process, at least partially, transparent. Through the intimacy and writer-to-
reader trust fostered by this openness, a particular style emerges. She opens the door to a
unique kind of empathy in literature. In any kind of biography, the mere fact of a true
story may give a leg up in the quest for reader empathy, an advantage that is not inherent
in fiction writing. What makes Ernaux’s work remarkable, however, are not just the
truths she tells about the past, but the reasons why she reveals these truths as she does.
Writing is a therapeutic and investigative process for Ernaux, and we are not left to guess
why and in what ways. Just as the mother she describes is brash, indiscrete, Ernaux does
not hesitate to “tell it straight.” Her language is direct and does not seek to soften reality
with extensive use of metaphor. While she does not explicitly state this, her writing style
in Une Femme echoes the frankness embodied in her mother as portrayed in the text.
3
, In Other Words A Woman- A Translation of Annie Ernauxs Une Femm
Ernaux defines her project as an undertaking that she hoped would remain “below
literature.” If this was truly her hope, she may have been dismayed to find it so well
received in the literary world, and addressed in numerous critical essays as a serious
piece of literature. I would not define her work as “below literature,” and in my
translation have treated her work with the same attention to detail that one would give a
more traditional novel or serious piece of literature. Une Femme is certainly different
from traditional fiction or even autobiography; within the text she refers to herself as an
“archivist.” This hints at a rift between the fabric of Ernaux’s life and the text she has
created, and yet one assumes all of her material originates in her life and her family’s
history. The final product is deeply personal, and yet Ernaux does not seem to let
emotionality skew the facts of her mother’s life.
Wherever Une Femme fits into the realm of “literature,” Ernaux’s approach
provides an important example of blurred genre boundaries within a single work. Her
frank and clear tone mimics the unapologetic manner in which she simply lets human
stories speak for themselves, acting as their own form of artistry. She proves that
emotion injects life into history, leaving little need for linguistic embellishments. While
she may be an “archivist,” in this work, she is also a daughter grieving the death of the
central figure of her archive. This connection between writer and subject means that she
is not only able to provide an intimate account of the history, but it becomes an explicitly
personal work that gives the sense of holding nothing back. One nearly has the
impression of reading her personal journal. It seems as if she is only secondarily
conscious of having an audience, but this consciousness ought not be taken for granted.
It comes across in one particular moment, among others, in which she employs meta-
4
