Department of English

Although the two authors were not only exact contemporaries (Beckett 1906-1989, Genet 1910-1986) but also geographical neighbors (both lived in Paris for long periods of time), few books or articles deal seriously with both of them. Beckett and Genet are felt to inhabit different worlds or to treat different issues. My hope is that a parallel examination of their prose, films and plays can allow one to approach their main concerns more accurately and differently. A systematic comparison will highlight a rationale for similar formal experiment and deploy converging problematics about sexuality and ethics, art and politics.

Corpus: all the works by both authors.