Les « contre-espaces » dans La Tournée d’automne et Les Yeux bleus de Mistassini de Jacques Poulin : des refuges pour résister au vieillissement

Abstract

In Poulin's work, the individual remains the creator of his own space of life, oscillating between utopian spaces – « countries without a place and histories without a chronology » –, heterotopian spaces – « utopias that have a precise and real place » (Foucault 23) – and not utopian. Utopian and heterotopic spaces, otherwise referred to as « counter-spaces » are perceived here as spaces of resistance: « places that oppose all others, that are intended in some way to erase, neutralize or purify them » (Foucault 24). In the end, the relationship to reality is different for everyone, but, according to Poulin, balance is essential.
This paper seeks to show how the characters of the Driver in La tournée d’automne and Jack in Les yeux bleus de Mistassini find their own equilibrium thanks to « counter-spaces », thereby escaping the drama of the ageing body. By providing a refuge for the characters to reflect on themselves and their relationship to others and to life, these “counter-spaces”