Main Features of Existentialism in French Literature (Based on the Works of J. M. G. Le Clézio and P. Modiano)
Main Features of Existentialism in French Literature (Based on the Works of J. M. G. Le Clézio and P. Modiano)

Summary/Abstract: The study examines existential motifs in the works of Le Clézio and Modiano and to analyse their interpretation within French literature of the 20th and 21st centuries. The research employed comparative, analytical and structural methods to examine the artistic representation of existential ideas, focusing on key motifs, narrative strategies and semantic interpretations of loneliness, alienation, identity crisis and memory. The findings show that existential motifs develop in different directions in the works of the two authors. In Le Clézio’s texts, loneliness and alienation are linked to the loss of cultural roots, the opposition between natural and urban spaces, and the conflict between tradition and civilisation. His characters experience identity crises expressed through a search for authenticity and belonging. In contrast, Modiano’s works associate existential crisis with fragmented memory, the impossibility of reconstructing a coherent biography, and social alienation. His narrative structures emphasise uncertainty, while the motif of oblivion intensifies a sense of existential instability. The comparative analysis confirms that both writers address loneliness and alienation as fundamental aspects of human existence, yet their interpretations are shaped by distinct social and historical contexts. Le Clézio focuses on space and cultural identity, whereas Modiano highlights memory and the erosion of the past.

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