Le Grand Meaulnes: A Conflicting Representation of Youth Olivia Nast 12th Grade

Throughout the French novel Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier, readers follow two main characters, Francois and Augustin, through their journey from youth to adulthood. As narrator Francois recalls his teenage years at Saint Agathe with his friend Augustin, he displays a range of emotions, including lots of nostalgia but also a hint of remorse. Francois represents youth as both a joyful time yet also a time of struggles. Developed by the representation of youth, an overall theme of the novel is that memory of childhood can sometimes keep people from growing up and living adulthood to its fullest potential. That being said, Alain-Fournier’s representation of youth in a multifaceted and conflicting way, ranging from innocence and a sense of wonder to tribulation and terror, shapes this overall meaning of the work as a whole.

Alain-Fournier firstly portrays youth as a time of innocence and wonder, indicating that youth yields pleasant memories to look back on during adulthood. This youthful innocence is seen in the beginning of the story when Francois does not know much about life outside of school because he lives there, yet he would not dare break the rules and sneak out as Augistin does; however, hearing about Augistin’s...