Une femme muette et La Reine Soleil Levée de Gérard Étienne : la résilience de la femme noire
Abstract
Gérard Étienne (1936-2008), a pivotal figure in Haitian Canadian literature during the latter half of the twentieth century, has received relatively limited critical attention in the early years of the new century. As a journalist, poet, and novelist, Étienne’s work persistently stages a revolt against various forms of oppression – political, social, and familial. This paper focuses on two of Étienne’s novels: Une femme muette (1983) and La Reine soleil levée (1987). While the two protagonists – Marie-Anne and Mathilda – appear to stand in stark contrast to one another in terms of geographic setting, social class, temperament, and modes of resistance, a closer reading reveals significant parallels. This study aims to explore how these women, through resilience and resistance, disrupt a seemingly predetermined fate and forge paths toward self-determination.
Submitted: July 21, 2025 | Accepted: Oct. 6, 2025 | Published Forthcoming | Language: fr
Keywords Résilience • Gérard Etienne • La femme noire • Littérature haitienne
Copyright © 2025 Alba Pessini. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Tol/2499-5975/2025/01/004