Marguerite Duras – Les impudents
“They believed they had lived and suffered there in a state of hardship, but could not look back without a sense of loss at their life there, before living a sad existence in Paris in which each one was merely the witness of the weaknesses and failures of the others.”
“Fresh and silky sounds, cries and noises, barking dogs, and the voices of young people, calling to one another, arrived isolated from their source and in a familiar way, as gentle to the ear as the sound of the sea. Farmers had their supper early, the ate no doubt in a silence composed of tiredness and peace. They would soon go to bed worn out by the fatigue of the day that had just gone by, and by the denser and heavier fatigue that imperceptibly swallowed up each day of their lives a bit more.”
“She had waited for this moment for so long, but didn’t feel any happiness in being with him, as if from now on it was too late to continue loving each other. She thought once again that she didn’t feel anything for George and that everything was destroyed: her illusions, her will to be happy, her strength, without her knowing why.”
“They were united by a secret solidarity, that made them a real family. And she herself was part of this clan, mo matter what she did. She was tempted to go back, to bring an end to her stupid wandering attempt to run away, but stubbornness fastened her to the ground. Even more important, she didn’t see what she could do to find her place again in the midst of her family…” |
