Quand l’altitude se fait monstrueuse : les populations isolées face à l’invisible. La Grande Peur dans la montagne de C.F Ramuz et Colline de J. Giono
Frightening heights: isolated populations faced with the invisible. La Grande Peur dans la montagne by C. F Ramuz and Colline by J. Giono

Summary/Abstract: The development of psychology has revealed a new irrational andincomprehensible fear in literature, illustrated by works such as Le Horla by Maupassant. Thisinternal fear manifests through altered perceptions, transforming the individual into theirown monster. The comparative analysis of La grande peur sur la montagne by Charles-FerdinandRamuz and Colline by Jean Giono highlights the emergence of an unspeakable fear inliterature, catalyzed by the development of psychology. Ramuz and Giono exploit high-altitude landscapes and isolation to depict the propagation of this fear within isolatedcommunities confronted with mysterious events. This choice of setting is rooted in a literarytradition that perceives heights as enigmatic places conducive to the imagination. Thenarratives of Ramuz and Giono reveal the fragility of man in the face of Nature, accentuatingthe anxiety of isolated characters, whose doubt is exacerbated by a hostile environment.Beliefs and superstitions contribute to losing individuals in their quest for explanations. Themountain populations portrayed in their works face natural phenomena that transform into supernatural and inexplicable events. The dichotomy between mountain and valley, traditionand modernity, as well as sacred and profane, generates tensions within groups of characters,further reinforcing the climate of isolation and anxiety that characterizes these narratives.This article aims to show that, in these novels, the true monster may lie within oneself,highlighting the destructive impact of beliefs and superstitions on the individual.

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