Paul Nothomb : du profane au sacré

Abstract

This article examines the interplay between the sacred and the profane in the life and work of Paul Nothomb (1913–2006). Deeply immersed in the historical upheavals of the twentieth century, Nothomb’s journey was marked by a transition from heroic Communist activism to an existential quest for meaning, rooted in a Hebraic reading of the Bible. Drawing on an analysis of his narrative Non Lieu (1996), we will demonstrate how his linguistic study of Genesis desacralizes the text while simultaneously sanctifying the ‘original nature’ of Man, which is present in everyone and guarantees a path to immortality. Ultimately, his work illuminates both the human condition in general and his own personal experiences in particular, especially the ordeal of torture.