THE RUNAWAY - Anglaisedgarpoe



THE RUNAWAY

Tim O'Brien The Things they Carried Away 1990

VOCABULARY:

- to put up (intro): give food and shelter, accommodate, house, shelter

- border (intro): limit, boundary, frontier

- to rock (1): to sway, waver

- beneath (1): under

- to will (3): to determine, to resolve, to force

- to grip (4): to clutch, grasp, grab

- to lean (4): to bend, bow

- traitor (12): turncoat (12), betrayer

- pussy (12): yellow, coward

- to endure (14): stand, suffer, bear

- shore (16): bank

- to squint (25): to look or peer with eyes partly closed, be cross-eyed

- mute (28): silent, quiet/ dumb

- to fix (35): prepare/ mend

- to nod (36): motion, signal

- to pack (39): to stow goods for transportation

ILLUSTRATION: Vietnam Memorial à Washington DC;

MAIN FACTS:

1. The scene takes place in the late summer. Tim, 21, is planning to cross the border between the U.S.A and Canada. He wants to avoid being sent to the war in Vietnam. But he fails in his attempt to reach the shore just twenty yards away.

Tim is a dodger.

The text is an autobiography.

A Vietnam vet recalls the past/ an important moment of his life.

This event is engraved in his memory.

2. Location: We are given clues in the text "Minnesota" (33) and "the prairie" (44) Therefore we may infer that it takes place in the Middle West.

3. Three parts:

- Part 1: an inner battle/ turmoil

- Part 2: A Silent Witness

- Part 3: No superman/ A Failure/ A Flop

WORDS:

4. Equivalents:

- beneath: under

- grip: seize firmly

- audience: public

- blush: become red

- endure: bear, put up with

- disgrace: shame

- mute: silent

- fix: prepare

5.Will is a verb/ J'essayais de me forcer

6. Words:

- bord: edge (4)

- hurler: Scream (11)

- plisser les yeux: squint (25)

7. Meaning:

a) J'agrippai le rebord du bateau et me penchait en avant

b) .. la rive n'était qu'à vingt mètres

c) Il bricolait son fil de pêche du bout des doigts.

MEANING;

8. "I tried to will myself overboard" (3)

"I gripped the edge of the boat and leaned forward" (4)

"I did try" (6)

Although he was not far from the Canadian border, Tim did not seize the opportunity. He tried to summon his courage but he was weak-hearted. He shrank back, he gave up.

9. True. what accounts for his behaviour then ? He dreaded (feared) he might be slandered (laughed at, sneered at) He was afraid of being called names, of being abused. He did not want to be the scoff of the town. He was torn between his desire to escape and his fear of people's opinion, judgement. He could not bear being held up to ridicule. He felt he would be regarded as a coward. He might be considered weak-hearted, weak-minded. He did not want to be accused of not doing his duty.

10. "I submitted" (19) means that he lacked courage, he was weak, irresolute. He bowed to pressure. He felt paralysed.

Passage du roman:"a moral freeze: I could not decide, I could not act, I could not comfort myself even with a pretence of human dignity."

Tim then sobbed out of despair, sorrow, cowardice and fear.

11. "Elroy Berdahl remained quiet" (24)

"He didn't speak" (26)

"His eyes were flat and impassive" (26)

"..his mute watchfulness" (28)

These sentences reveal that he is expressionless and silent.

The sentence "He kept fishing...patiently" (24) underlines that the old man was engrossed in his activity.

12. He avoided the narrator's eyes. he pretended not to notice what was going on. Yet, he is fully aware of the boy's conflicting desires. He knows it is a turning point and does not want to influence him.

Exercice sur les adjectifs composés, page 51: Elroy is tactful, understanding

Autres adjectifs: gentle, reserved, considerate, kind, lenient, perceptive, unobtrusive, discreet, patient, unruffled, unshaken, imperturbable...

Elroy plays the role of the chorus, the silent witness as in a Greek tragedy.

13. Elroy was not a fool, he knew what Tim intended (was planning to do) He took him with him intentionally, deliberately, with a view to making him cross the border. he thought it was up to Tim to decide.

14. a) False "I don't remember saying goodbye" (34)

b) False: "...by the time I'd finished packing the old man had disappeared" (39)

c) True: "In a way, I thought it was appropriate" (40)

15. Tacit understanding characterizes the relationship between the two men.

16. The narrator confesses (admits, recognizes) he was a coward, that crossing the river required, involved courage.

Adjectifs composés, page 51 Tim is outspoken, plain-spoken, truthful, honest, bitter, disillusioned, and pitiable.

Tim clearly suggests that there is nothing exceptional about him. In this passage, he debunks the myth of the hero. He cuts a pitiable figure which is poles apart from the myth of the hero.

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT:

Exercice 1

1. Do et did emphatique:

a) b) et c) Cet énoncé fait écho à un énoncé précédent: I tried to will myself overboard ces emphatiques opèrent toujours une reprise, ils ne sont compréhensibles que par rapport à un énoncé précédent (explicite ou implicite) qu'ils confirment ou auxquels ils s'opposent. Ici, l'énoncé apparaît explicitement (3)

On peut donc dire que l'énoncé emphatique souligne ce qui a été dit: Oui, j'ai essayé. On sent même une intention polémique que l'on pourrait traduire: Mais, si! Je vous dit que j'ai essayé! car si on lit entre les lignes on trouve entre les deux énoncés cités un énoncé implicite qui est le suivant: vous savez que je n'ai pas réussi, vous pensez peut-être que je n'ai pas suffisamment essayé..

Ce que traduit la forme en Did c'est ce dialogue implicite entre l'énonciateur et ceux auxquels il s'adresse, ces lecteurs auprès desquels il tente de se justifier, ceux qui, comme le personnage lui-même au moment de sa tentative de fuite, considèrent le fait de se soumettre à la guerre (I submitted) comme de la lâcheté, un acte répréhensible ou simplement stupide.

A travers l'énoncé emphatique on peut donc lire cet échange entre le narrateur et ceux auxquels il pense, échange qui révèle et accentue les conflits et les contradictions du personnage-narrateur. De quel côté se situe la lâcheté ? Du côté de la soumission à la guerre ou du côté de la fuite ?

d) c'est Did que l'on accentuera à l'oral, pour bien souligner l'intention polémique.

e) J'ai réellement essayé est une traduction moyenne qui ne force pas l'intention polémique mais la souligne.

Exercice 2.

I do know fait echo à I don't remember. L'énoncé implicite auquel s'oppose l'énoncé emphatique pourrait être le suivant Je ne me souviens pas de cette poignée de main; on pourrait donc penser que je ne me souviens de rien. L'énoncé emphatique est paraphrsable par et pourtant (valeur de contradiction) je sais bien que...ou bien Il y a pourtant une chose que je sais...On sent donc à nouveau l'intention polémique dans l'emploi de la forme emphatique.

Exercice 3

Le narrateur semble désireux de se justifier (intention polémique)

Exercice 4:

He did understand Tim’s intentions!

WOULD

Exercice 1.

a) b) et c) L'énoncé exprime ce qu'a pensé le personnage dans la situation passée car would=will+passé

Le passé peut avoir 3 valeurs:

- valeur temporelle (avant par opposition à maintenant)

- valeur modale, forme de l'irréel qui atténue le sens du modal (would conditionnel)

- passé du récit qui permet d'insérer dans le récit un discours à l'origine au style direct. C'est le cas ici: il faut lire ce passage comme un énoncé au discours indirect libre (c'est-à-dire sans verbe introducteur) On doit comprendre I thought: "I will go to the war"= I THOUGHT THAT I would go to the war

Would est issu d'un will de discours indirect. Le discirs direct en question est celui des pensées du narrateur au moment où il se trouvait dans la situation décrite. On soulignera donc la différence entre:

- le personnage, celui qui vivait dans les faits décrits et qui est censé avoir prononcé l'énoncé: I will go to the war

- le narrateur, qui dans un temps postérieur à l'histoire en fait le récit

Bien sûr, cette distinction ne doit pas s'entendre d'un point de vue réaliste. μC'est un procédé de l'auteur que de créer un narrateur identifié au personnage mais situé dans un temps (le temps du récit) postérieur au temps de l'histoire. Identifier la valeur de would c'est identifier la valeur de will au discours direct.

L'effet produit est donc celui d'un "fondu" entre les pensées du personnage passé et la voix présente du narrateur, comme si le narrateur avait du mal à se détacher du personnage qu'il était alors. En d'autres termes, le narrateur présent se présente comme encore proche, malgré la distance temporelle, du jeune homme qu'il était et de ses problématiques

La question "quelle image le narrateur donne-t-il de lui même ?" doit être comprise comme "quelle image...donne-t-il du personnage qu'il était ?"

Exercice 6

If tim had crossed the border, he wouldn't have gone to the war

He would have...

7.MAKE

a) La notion exprimée par la structure en make est la pression (voir Unité 1, texte2)

b) Le sujet 1 I est le déclencheur de l'action be brave. C'est le sujet2 myself qui est censé l'exécuter. Il se trouve que les deux sujets renvoient à la même personne. C'est la raison pour laquelle on trouve self accolé au pronom (de la même manière que dans I looked at myself où le sujet le complément renvoient à la même personne.

c) la valeur de couldn't: incapacité dans une situation particulière

d) ce qu'exprime cet énoncé, c'est donc la division du sujet entre lui-même, le conflit entre celui qui incite à l'action I et tente de faire pression sur cet autre qui est lui même myself, l'incapacité couldn't dans laquelle se trouve le sujet d'obéir à lui même. Une fois encore, la structure grammaticale, dans la concision de son articulation syntaxique, met en place des rôles de personnages (ici, ceux du sujet divisé) et se trouve donc au fondement de la formation du sens.

STRUCTURES AT WORK

Tense:

.....held.....turned....put..

..struck....must have planned....'llnever be....think.....meant...chose....

..remember....could've done.

..could've jumped...started..

..felt.

.write..can still feel

..re

..would you do..

AROUND THE TEXT

Traduction:

1) Je ne pouvais pas me forcer à être courageux

2) J'étais gêné, un point c'est tout.

3) C'est bien cela qui était triste.

4) C'est alors que je m'assis et..pleurai.

5)A gros sanglots

6) a et c étoffement b et e équivalence.

Traduction proposée:

Elroy resta silencieux. Il bricolait son fil de pêche du bout des doigts, patiemment, plissant les yeux pour mieux voir son flotteur rouge et blanc sur la Rainy River. Son regard était absent, sans expression. Il ne parlait pas. Il était simplement là, comme la rivière et le soleil de fin d'été. Et cependant, par sa présence, par son attention muette, il était la réalité. C'était lui le vrai public. Il était témoin, comme Dieu, ou comme les dieux, ceux qui surveillent dans un silence absolu la vie que nous vivons, tandis que nous faisons nos choix ou nous abstenons de les faire.

THE RUNAWAY

(Tim O'Brien 1990)

Tim is a young American of 21. He is staying for a week at a friend's; Elroy, in Minnesota to take an important decision. We are in the 60s and like many young men of his age, Tim has been drafted, he must go to Vietnam. But Tim does not know whether he will join the army or cross the border to Canada and be a dodger. After an inner battle, he finally chooses the war. It is not a question of courage or patriotism; it is the easiest way for him. By bringing him near the frontier, Elroy, the silent witness, offered him the opportunity to make up his mind and he did.

1. An inner battle: 1-23

2. A silent witness: 24-33

3. Failure: 34-end

1. An inner battle

Elroy and Tim have gone fishing on the Rainy River, Min., which marks the border between the USA and Canada. Now, Tim is faced to his choice: will he swim to Canada or will he stay in the boat and consequently go to Vietnam? Tim is now at a crossroads. He first attempts to dive and swim away, that to dodge the war, but he can't however hard he tries "to will myself" (3) "I did try" (6) He has to force himself "to grip the edge of the boat" Even though he urges himself to do it "Now" he just can't. Ironically enough, he adds "I couldn't make myself to be brave" (17) His staying in the boat has, in fact, nothing to do with what could seem the real reason: bravery and patriotism. If Tim shrinks from running away, it's not because he is ashamed of doing so (17), but out of "embarrassment"(8-18) He fears people's judgement on him, he dreads abuse and mockery. Tim acts on account of what others might say "those eyes on me.." "I could hear.." "..was an audience" His choice is not influenced either by fear of the war, or by ideology, it's just fear of being insulted, mocked or singled out if he ran away. The term embarrassment is even queer when you have to take such an important decision as going or not going to the war. You are usually more than "embarrasses"

So, finally he chooses to submit. This is not a reasonable decision; he knows it for he cries it louder and louder. But he couldn't do otherwise. His fear of the judgement of others was deeper than that of the war itself.

2. A silent witness

Elroy Berdahl hardly speaks at all "remained quiet" "didn't speak" He does not interfere with Tim's inner battle. He has brought him there, a few yards from Canada, as if to place him at a crossroads, to let him face his responsibilities. He does not speak and keeps on fishing. But being there is enough to remind Tim that he will have to face people's judgements, that nobody is alone on Earth. If you are a believer, then you may fear God's judgement, if not, then you may dread people's outlook on you (audience/ witness) In any case man is alone to take his own decisions. Yet, his choices, as Tim's, always have consequences; always meet with the others' reactions. Elroy's presence, though utterly discreet, is efficient. He understands Tim's inner struggle. He sees him trying to get overboard and finally sitting down, crying. Then, he knows that he can turn the boat back to Minnesota.

3. Failure:

Tim's decision is not a victory. It is not an intellectual choice based on opinion or faith. He has decided to go to Vietnam not in terms of loyalty to his country, but as the best opportunity "not to be embarrassed". He lives it as a failure to assert himself. "I was a coward" (46) this is a paradox in so far as society expects the reverse: you are a coward if you run away, not if you do your duty as a soldier! Tim is not at peace with himself now, on the contrary, he leaves Elroy without a word, as if ashamed of his lack of courage. And he appreciates the old man's discreet attitude (40) There is no need for justifications or explanations, which he could not give anyway. The following years appear as a sort of meaningless blank then, from the moment he left Min., to the end of the war. Though he "survived" (45) Vietnam, he sounds lifeless at the end "I went to the war and then home again" (45) What happened there does not seem to matter to him "and...and.." In other circumstances it might have been a happy conclusion, but for him it was not "not a happy ending" (45) Even years after Tim still sees his decision as a failure. Thus the last two sentences sound as the extreme paradox of his dilemma (46) For the "audience" he did his duty, going to the war, for himself he was a "coward" Appearances were safe, but he never overcame his choice.

Tim's choice shows us how bravery and cowardice are sometimes misinterpreted. What for many people seems an act of real courage remained for the narrator the cruelest defeat of his life. Where others would have called him a coward, fleeing from his responsibilities, he only saw an absence of willpower to be true to his real desire. He survived, yet he was and remained defeated.

THE RUNAWAY, from

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED AWAY

Tim O'Brien, 1990

Author biography:

A native of Worthington, Minnesota, Tim O'Brien graduated in 1968 from Macalaster College in St Paul. He served as a foot soldier in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970, after which he pursued graduate studies in government Harvard University, then later worked as a national affairs reporter for the Washington Post. He now lives in Massachussetts.

Tim O'Brien is of the generation of writers who came of age during the Vietnam War era and his writing has focused on that turbulent period of American history with compassion and insight. He is widely recognized as the preeminent American novelist of the Vietnam experience and his novels have gained widespread critical and significant popular success because of their ability to translate the experience of wartime into perspectives on the largest questions of life and death.

The Things They Carried Away 1990 is both a collection of interrelated short pieces which ultimately reads with the dramatic force of a novel. A simple tale told from the perspective of one foot soldier, it depicts the men of Alpha Company, and, of course, fictional Tim O'Brien reappearing as a thread of continuity. He has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of 43. The characters battle the enemy, or maybe more the idea of the enemy, and occasionally each other. In their relationship we see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear.

The Things They Carried Away is a testament to the men who risked their lives in America's most controversial war.

The title story won a National Magazine Award.

The passage entitled "The Runaway" is taken from a short story called "On the Rainy River" where Tim O'Brien develops his theory of courage:

Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down. It was a comforting theory.

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