J.M.G. Le Clezio: Refusal of Euro-Centrism and the Zall of Elsewhere

Abstract

Born in Nice, France during WW II as the soon of a French mother and a British father, J.M.G. Le Clezio is one of the most significant writers of French literature as regards his understanding of freedom and independence, his critical approach to his native culture, and his approach to writing and literature. Le Cle"zio, whose childhood was overshadowed by painful memories of the war, has a mythical past which has a deep impact on his life and his work and whiph added an obsessive dimension to his desire for returning to his roots. In time, he developed a resistance against Euro-centrism, as a result of his past, which included the childhood memories of World War II and his witnessing of the aggressive and brutal attitude of the colonizing powers of the West, while he was in Africa during his father's mission. He wanted to show the true colors of the modern world in his novels by using mostly non- European characters. This article aims to show how Le C16zio's rejection of Euro-centrism was shaped and how his need of "search" and desire for "another place" were formed.