De l'assimilation à la recherche de l'authenticité : Vaovao Frantsay Malagasy, 1897-1915

From assimilation to the seeking for authenticity seen throughout the ''French Malagasy News'' of 1897 to 1915

• Auteur / Autrice : Seth Andriamanatsilavo
• Direction : Robert Jouanny
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Lettres
• Date : Soutenance en 1987
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 12

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Presse

Littérature malgache

Assimilation (sociologie)

Madagascar

Acculturation

Résumé

Des 1897, le gouvernement colonial installe a madagascar, voulut se doter d'un instrument efficace afin de mener a bien sa politique d'assimilation, autrement que par la force des armes. Alors fut cree le vaovao frantsay malagasy ''nouvelliste francais - malgache'' destine a vehiculer l'idee d'une civilisation ''superieure'' qui prendrait la place d'une autre jugee ''barbare''. Ce journal privilegie sur lequel ses promoteurs ont fonde beaucoup d'espoirs, s'est revele etre un instrument precieux aux mains des ecrivains autochtone qui y ont collabore. Le vfm, en effet, leur a permis, en depit des mille et un handicaps, de montrer ce qu'on pourrait qualifier de ''genie'' malgache. Bien que permeables aux idees et nouveautes venues de l' exterieur, ils ont su, par un eclectisme extraordinaire, affirmer une personnalite et une identite insoupconnees, tout en les enri- chissant. Ainsi est ne le malgache ''moderne'' ayant une vision originale de l'homme et de l'univers. Ainsi furent jetees les bases d'une litterature malgache ''moderne'' dont les racines ont puise leur essence dans la litterature traditionnelle malgache.

As early as 1897, the colonial government established in madagascar, wanted to equip themselves with an efficient tool to enable them to successfully carry on their assimilation policy through other means but by force of arms. So then, the vfm was created, ''the french malagasy news'', in order to convey the idea of a ''superior civilization'' which would take the place of another one considered ''barbarous''. This privileged newspaper on which the promoters had grounded many hopes, happened to be a precious instrument in the hands of the autochtonous writers who collaborated on it. As a matter of fact, the vfm allowed them, despite countless handicaps to show what we could qualify as ''the malagasy genius''. Although they were permeable to ideas and novelties from abroad, these writers managed, with an extraordinary eclecticism, to affirm an unsuspected personality and identity they enriched by the same way. That was how the ''modern'' malagasy was born, with an original vision of man and the universe. The foundations of a ''modern'' malagasy literature were thus laid, its roots having derived their essence from traditional malagasy literature.