COUNTER-MEMORY OF JEWISH IDENTITY IN PATRICK MODIANO’S NOVELS: AN ATTEMPT AGAINST THE MEMORY MANIPULATION

DOI: 10.18173/2354-1067.2025-0016

Abstract

Patrick Modiano, particularly through his representation of Jewish identities, offers a compelling exploration of the interconnection between memory and identity, power. However, traditional approaches such as narratology, psychology, or biographical criticism, inadvertently neglect its social, political, and ethical dimensions. This article engages interdisciplinarily with several of Modiano’s significant works, utilizing knowledge from various fields, especially memory theories that draw on concepts such as counter-memory (Michel Foucault), memory manipulation (Paul Ricœur), and theories of identity. The method of historical interpretation is also used to compare past events mentioned in texts with their official statements. It aims to elucidate how antisemitic discourse and Jewish assimilation interfere and shape the identity of the Jews. The article ultimately argues that the Jewish characters in Modiano’s works function as counter-memory entities; through them, Modiano questions official historical discourses and resists the ideological manipulation of collective memory in postwar France