Clio, Mnémosyne et création d’identité dans les récits personnels de Yourcenar et de Kazantzaki

Abstract

In this paper, we intend to analyze the place of History and its dialectic connection to Memory in The Labyrinth of the world of Marguerite Yourcenar and the Report to Greco of Nikos Kazantzakis, the authors’ personal and familial narratives. Therefore, we think that the historic vision of Yourcenar’s memories is influenced by Bergson’s « fonction fabulatrice » which relates the specific to the general; in other words, her family history is being attached to the sphere of history’s universality. The French author’s writing indicates that historic reality doesn’t mean a lot to her; what really counts is the imaginary significance created upon the event. During the circle of History, human is mostly important. For the Greek author however, surpassing human is what really counts. In Kazantzakis’ life narration, the historic inspiration refers either to great historic figures or to Crete’s historic events marking his memory; what really counts is not the event’s presence, but the author’s imaginary meditation regenerating the glance onto the past. In both works consequently, imagination’s implication transforms the quest of real identity to creation of an imaginary identity.