1Virginie Despentes’ trilogy Vernon Subutex explores a wide range of contemporary societal themes through the lens of its eponymous protagonist, Vernon Subutex. The trilogy delves into issues such as social inequality, the disintegration of traditional communities, the impact of digital technology on human connections and the struggle for authenticity in a commercialized world. Through a diverse cast of characters and intricate narratives, Despentes examines the complexities of identity, addiction, mental health, and the pursuit of meaning in a rapidly changing society. This thought-provoking novel challenges conventional narrative structures in favor of an epistemology that amplifies marginalized and unconventional voices. At its core, the book explores the complexities of individual consciousness while interrogating societal norms. The title itself, Vernon Subutex, signifies a divergence by combining two distinct registers. This interplay of language reflects the polyphony that unfolds throughout the narrative, intertwining the musician Vernon Sullivan or Boris Vian with Subutex, a medication used to alleviate withdrawal symptoms associated with addiction.

2What is the underlying intention of Virginie Despentes in her work, specifically in Vernon Subutex? How does the narrative employ different voices to enhance the polyphonic nature of the story? This article focuses first, on the polyphonic narrative structure of Vernon Subutex exploring its implications from hermeneutical and ethical perspectives. Polyphony in literature refers to a narrative technique where multiple, distinct voices and perspectives coexist within a single work. These voices often belong to different characters or narrators, each with their own thoughts, emotions, and viewpoints. The result is often a rich, multifaceted narrative that allows readers to engage with a variety of perspectives and experiences, often contributing to a deeper understanding of the story’s themes, characters, and conflicts. This technique helps reflecting the complexities of human existence and the diverse ways individuals perceive and interact with the world around them, making it a powerful tool for conveying depth and nuance in literary storytelling. Furthermore, the utilization of polyphony within Vernon Subutex creates a convergence of diverse voices, presenting varying interpretations of the same events. This divergence serves as a testament to the rise of modern individualism and pluralism, effectively establishing a democratic framework within the narrative.

3Secondly, this article dwells on the reasons for the author’s choice to borrow this specific narrative architecture by turning to Roland Barthes, who in Writing Degree Zero, raises the question of the responsibility of the author:

• 1 Roland Barthes, Writing Zero Degree, Translated by Annette Lavers and Colin Smith, Boston, Beacon P (...)

It is because there is no thought without language, that Form is the first and last arbiter of literary responsibility, and it is because there is no reconciliation within the present society, that language, necessary and necessarily orientated, creates for the writer a situation fraught with conflict1.

4Barthes’ work stimulates a consideration of the author’s responsibility and role in storytelling. By embracing a polyphonic approach, Despentes challenges the notion of a single authoritative voice. Through the interplay of narrative voices, she aims to question the existence of a singular, absolute truth. Instead, she encourages readers to embrace multiple perspectives and interpretations, fostering a more nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics within contemporary society. By doing so, Despentes presents a compelling portrayal of diverse experiences leading to reflection on the broader ethical and societal implications of storytelling.

5Through a lens of social evolution, Virginie Despentes maps out Parisian society, revealing both the investigative and writing practices that shape the narrative. The novel inquires the expressive power of diverse voices and the myriad ways in which they embody different forms of life. This exploration is crucial to the ethical and political philosophies that underpin the story. Although Vernon Subutex is a work of fiction, it offers a glimpse into plausible existences, allowing readers to recognize the realities of various lives.

6One of the novel’s most notable merits is its ability to shed light not only on the homeless protagonist (informed by the author’s firsthand research on homelessness) but also on the disillusioned lives of other characters. Employing a multiple narration strategy, Despentes masterfully unveils parallel storylines that intersect with the historical, political, social, religious, and sexual milieus surrounding Vernon Subutex, the central character who catalyzes these secondary narrative threads. This polyphonic approach exposes an array of “forms of life” and enriches our understanding of the interconnected lives within the novel’s world. Vincent Jouve, in Les Stratégies romanesques highlights the fact that:

• 2 Vincent Jouve, L’Effet personnage dans le roman, Paris, PUF, 1998, p. 206. My free translation from (...)

The narrator orients the reader’s involvement in the novel by exploiting the three modalities of power, knowledge and will. Imposing his power on the addressee, he puts it in the desired perspective: it is then a question of persuasion. Influencing the knowledge of the reader, he turns to seduction. Finally, by a more winding route, he pursues a strategy of temptation by manipulating the will of the subject. In any case, it is a question of putting one of the three character-effects at the service of an extra-romantic purpose2.

7To gain insight into Despentes’ writing strategy, it is crucial to recognize her dedication to narrating social events. With deliberate intention, Despentes assumes absolute control over their unfolding, utilizing her literary prowess to effectively convey her message. The novel inherently provokes contemplation of social issues relevant to the new century while adapting its aesthetic elements to suit these evolving contexts. Moreover, it is important to be mindful that beyond the social circumstances surrounding Vernon Subutex, the diverse life experiences of the various characters serve as metaphors that redefine and validate contemporary narrative practices. These metaphoric representations contribute to the nuanced exploration of storytelling techniques, lending depth and legitimacy to the novel’s broader themes.

8Finally, we should also be attentive to the fact that beyond the social situations of Vernon Subutex, the life forms of the different protagonists would seem to constitute metaphors through which the practice of contemporary narrative is redefined and legitimized.

The polyphonic narrative architecture of Vernon Subutex, its hermeneutical and ethical issues

9

10Within the arduous literary trajectory of Despentes, the demanding task of narration has always been a central aspect, especially evident since the publication of Baise-moi. It unveils a broader issue that encompasses the interplay between polyphony and authorship within her writing. Taking into consideration literary theorists, from Booth to Mikhail Bakhtin, it is clear that the impossibility of doing without the figure of the author is long-established, even if the latter only testifies to an imaginary reconstruction of the reader, because his hollow presence plays an essential role in literary communication. Vis-a-vis this subject, Alain Rabatel estimates that:

• 3 Alain Rabatel, Homo Narrans. Pour une analyse énonciative et interactionnelle du récit, Tome 1 : Le (...)

The narrating subject, by the very fact that he narrates, and above all by the very fact of narrating, by staging different centers of perspective, potentially opens a Pandora’s box from which some authorized voices emerge, others don’t, but nevertheless, they undermine the authority of the former, so that the story, far from being the illustration of a pre-established truth, opens onto infinite possibilities of interpretation3.

11Such a consideration readily lends itself to Vernon Subutex, where polyphony results in divergent voices heard on the same event. Despentes declared in an interview:

• 4 Nelly Kaprièlian, Interview with Virginie Despentes, [Nos années 2010] 2015, “Naissance de Vernon S (...)

I came up with the idea for Vernon when I saw people around me finding themselves in complicated situations in their fifties. I had experience of a record store when I was a kid, and I was part of a rock band. At the time, in rock, people crossed paths who had nothing to do with each other. They have changed socially and politically. There are developments that we could not have foreseen thirty years ago... I had the idea of ​​a patchwork book that would cross all the social classes4.

12If this reflection turns out to be particularly noteworthy, it is because Despentes is the author of a text whose literary representation aims at restoring reality and at the same time it reflects the practice of “assemblage” (the use of the term “patchwork” is well known in textile art, in composite works). The writing settings reflected in Vernon Subutex create a sense of authenticity and disclose discourses close to reality on the one hand; on the other hand, their organization is planned according to a well-defined structure, while their ultimate narrative is carried out by a work of fusion, according to a pre-established condition. It is undeniably not a fiction grounded in traditionally fictional narrative principles, but rather in various modal reassessments of fiction, at times catching up with nonfiction to accentuate reality, while tacitly revealing the invisible bonds that separate individuals.

“One author per voice”.

16Observing the narrative architecture of Vernon Subutex, its plot with the multiple characters and its different sequences, it is essential to distinguish the attribution of the different voices of the characters from the narrative voice chosen by the author. Since the situation of the narration is not obvious, it is crucial to take into account the voice of the author conveyed through the text and which, in most cases, differs from that of a specific character. In an interview on Vernon Subutex; Despentes openly states:

• 10 Sophie Joubert, interview with Virginie Despentes – Vernon Subutex 3 “Lecture par l’auteure et renc (...)

In the first two volumes, I read one author by voice… and I realized that if I read for two days thoroughly (it’s not plagiarism, in the manner of) […] but I felt that it put me each time in a kind of rhythm that really allowed me to change my voice, […] and that this break in tone was really stimulated, if I put myself entirely into an author three days before writing the chapter10.

18Vernon Subutex is therefore not written with epic ease and comfort. The text is created out of tautness as well as lucid, meticulous and challenging awareness. Despentes’ writing is definitely not a free and overwhelming gift, but the achievement of discipline. If the place of the omniscient narrator is obvious, the voice also lends itself to the altered characters in an interior monologue, almost à la James Joyce... except that this interior monologue changes from one protagonist to another. Vernon Subutex is the analysis of simple reality, where the characters’ voices and thoughts are perceived, located on different objects or subjects, while allowing to tell life forms of individual beings in the humble sphere of their existence. Even though some dialogues dot the stories here and there, the narration always regains control by the line of thought of the protagonists or that of the omniscient narrator.

“Field Practices”.

23Further evidence is emphasized in the fact that the contemporary world is described by a considerable number of characters from distinct social classes, united mainly by their interest in popular musical culture. In doing so, a simultaneity is established of the points of view of the different characters which fully manifests their diversity. The process of composition and the artful juxtaposition of voices generate a unique amalgamation of singularity. These overlapping voices, characterized by their heterogeneity, give rise to a principle of plurality within distinct social spheres. This phenomenon strongly echoes Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of “L’Espace des points de vue” as discussed in the introduction to his volume, “La Misère du monde”. Here, the eruption of perspectives in polyphony, akin to those found within the modern novel, is intricately described.

• 22 Pierre Bourdieu, “L’Espace des points de vue”, La Misère du monde, Seuil, 1993, p. 9-11, p. 9. Tran (...)

To understand what happens in places which, like the “cités” [...] bring together completely different people, forcing them to live together, either in ignorance or in mutual incomprehension, or in latent or declared conflict, with all the pain that results from it, it is not enough to explain each of the points of view grasped in a separate state. They must also be confronted as they are in reality, [...] to bring out, by the simple effect of juxtaposition, what results from the confrontation of different or antagonistic visions of the world [...]. We thus hope to produce two effects: to show that the so-called “difficult” [...] places are first of all difficult to describe and to think about and that we must replace simplistic images [...] with a complex and multiple representation , based on the expression of the same realities in different, sometimes irreconcilable discourses; and, in the manner of novelists such as Faulkner, Joyce or Virginia Woolf, to abandon the unique, central, dominant, in short, almost divine point of view, in which the observer, and also his reader, willingly places himself [...] in order to achieve the plurality of perspectives corresponding to the plurality of coexisting and sometimes directly competing points of view22.

24Bourdieu’s perspective underscores society as a realm fraught with tension, eschewing any notion of an idealized fusion of perspectives. While the realist or naturalist novel aspired to depict society’s intricacies and divisions, Bourdieu’s view is that genuine unity and a comprehensive understanding of society remain elusive, characterized by inherent conflicts and complexities. Writers, as external observers, may strive to delineate society’s structure, yet they do so from a detached standpoint, incapable of fully immersing themselves or entirely reconciling the inherent societal tensions. This dynamic highlights the perpetual challenge of representing the multifaceted nature of society in literature, all while acknowledging the constraints imposed by any singular perspective.

25In contrast, contemporary writers often opt for the realm of gathering voices and the testimonies of stories, deviating from the approach described above. In the staging of social spaces of Vernon Subutex, the involvement of the narrator shines through, in particular when considering the selection of characters, places and the choice of events. Questions of politics, values, ideology, family relations, married life, but also a whole panoply of musical references, marginal cultures, and experiences in the field of alcohol and drugs, become entangled. The intensity of the affects involved varies according to the circumstances.

Je suis une jeune violoniste virtuose.

• 25 Virginie Despentes, Vernon Subutex, Tome 1, Paris, Grasset, 2015, p. 429.

Je suis la pute arrogante et écorchée vive, je suis l’adolescent solidaire de son fauteuil roulant, je suis la jeune femme qui dîne avec son père qu’elle adore et qui est si fier d’elle, je suis le clandestin qui a passé les barbelés de Melilla je remonte les Champs-Élysées et je sais que cette ville va me donner ce que je suis venu chercher, je suis la vache à l’abattoir, je suis l’infirmière rendue sourde aux cris des malades à force d’impuissance, je suis le sans-papiers qui prend dix euros de crack chaque soir pour faire le ménage au black dans un restau à Château Rouge, je suis le chômeur...25

Polyphonic storytelling - a special type of commitment.

28They explore a new form of humanism, no longer the blind faith in the greatness of humankind and the advent of their future, but rather an attention to their weaknesses and mistakes. They question the discourses of history and the foundations of the belief system on which our Western societies are based – all have in common a need for addressing the problems of their time, conferring to literature a major role and the power to assume that it is capable of acting in the social sphere, of shaking consciences, of modifying human behavior.

• 29 Ibid. p. 120. Translation : Pourquoi l’auteur doit‑il céder la place au producteur ? Précisément pa (...)

Why should the author yield their place to the producer? Precisely because, unlike the author, the producer does not appropriate the means of production (language). They put them back into play, they put them at the service of the community29.

32What is more interesting, and more problematical in Depentes’ work, are the ultimate attempts, through this new discourse to lay siege of truth and reality. Despentes’ writing is at the crossroads of the narrative voices which play on the register of provocation with an absolute freedom of expression as well as a voice which defends values ​​and reveals a reality not always publicized by the media. Vernon Subutex aims to capture reality and in doing so, it situates itself politically. This relates to Blanckeman’s consideration of contemporary French fiction:

• 31 Bruno Blanckeman, Les Fictions singulières. Etude sur le roman français contemporain, Paris, Prétex (...)

To be part of a raw society, to describe its wounds, to denounce its insults: current romantic fiction knows how to situate itself politically […] Several stories thus capture a given country, France, in its time of accomplishment, a change century [...] the novels take, in targeted words, facts of society that hurt, reach sensitive points of pain, represent life that is struggling 31.

33We realize that the same phenomenon takes place in Vernon Subutex, with its sociological outline, its revelation of social situations, attesting to existential mediations, ideological referents of the states of French civilization. The heuristic force of literature opting for a political dimension is expressed in the narrative. The fragmented manifestation of literature’s public dimension in Vernon Subutex is a product of the deliberate construction of discourse that showcases the manner in which literature operates within the social field. This includes the celebration of the seemingly purposeless acts of protest, moments of scandal, didacticism and moral edification. In this context, it becomes evident that we are in close proximity to the concept of literary commitment.

34The first pages of Vernon Subutex already uphold a writing of intertwined voices, where the characters are defined above all by a nostalgic and painful thought, where the echoes of a deep crisis resound with a society hit by unemployment and disappearing professions like the record store owners who become homeless. Further evidence of the crisis is underscored by the inclusion of anecdotes within the novel – glimpses into the lives of passers-by encountered on the streets. These anecdotes serve the purpose of making their presence felt by the reader, amplifying the simple yet stark reality of individuals in distress and marginalized communities. The collection of voices, approached with renewed attention, effectively reflects the struggles faced by these vulnerable individuals, offering a poignant and empathetic portrayal, such as the “meuf” affected by AIDS, who one day approaches Vernon and disappears a few pages later:

• 32 Virginie Despentes, Vernon Subutex, Tome 2, Paris, Grasset, p. 109. Translation: “The girl arrived (...)

La meuf est arrivée en fin d’après-midi, elle n’a pas dit son nom. Elle est probablement plus jeune que Vernon mais elle est très abîmée. Ses cheveux sont courts et mal coupés, elle a un œil qui dit merde à l’autre […] “Pardon monsieur j’ai le sida c’est terrible j’ai vu l’assistante sociale elle me dit qu’il n’y a pas d’hébergement […] aidez-moi s’il vous plaît”32.

35These nameless characters who appear here and there like ghosts, are no more than voices that arise out of nowhere, are heard and disappear without a trace. The very fact of writing down these realities is a position and a form of commitment. Alexandre Gefen noted it well, it is about the “political rearmament of contemporary literature”:

• 33 Alexandre Gefen, L’Idée de littérature, de l’art pour l’art aux écritures d’intervention, Paris, Co (...)

Another sign of this evolution is to find a political turning point, that of the recommitment of contemporary writers, not on the side of ideologies, but on the side of discourse analysis, social inventory work and even relational practices aimed at consolidating democracy and to produce new civilities: the time has come for the writings of intervention33.

38Virginie Despentes’ polyphonic novel brings forward the voices of the affected people, engaging in the sources of a public truth and this vocal truth is achieved only through scattered writing. Finally, the polyphonic writing, the voices of Vernon Subutex, are in fact the very commitment of Virginie Despentes.