This week I read Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan. This book was not my favourite as I found almost no redeeming qualities in any of the characters.
I tried to sympathize with Cecile over her actions. She had grown up with the absence of her mother and a father who could have used a book on parenting. However, she loved the life she lived with her father, and how could she not? It was easy. Her lifestyle consisted of parties, drinking, smoking, and living out her days in Paris and her summers in a villa on the French Riviera. She had no responsibilities, and no one around her had any expectations for her. Obviously, this life had made her spoiled but I don’t think I can fully blame her for all of her actions towards Anne. Anne brought structure, expectations, and rules which were all new to Cecile and if I had lived 17 years of freedom I also would not be overly excited with the idea. I had a constant battle with Cecile’s character as I debated to the end whether her actions were excusable and a result of her upbringing or if they were in no way justifiable and she should just grow up.
Raymond was the poster child for bad parenting. He was selfish and constantly a bad example for young Cecile. His actions towards the women in his life were inappropriate and confusing (taking Elsa to the villa then inviting Anne who he later asks to marry after a night out with both of them). I think Annes’ attempts to be a good role model to Cecile were made irrelevant after the night at the casino. Cecile used to be inspired and intimidated by Anne. However, after Anne and her father leave the casino together Cecile (and myself) began to lose respect for Anne’s character.
From all the flawed characters in the novel, I could not figure out who the antagonist was supposed to be. In a way, I could make an argument that every character was both an antagonist and protagonist. This was definitely an interesting read full of angst and a rather cynical ending.
I wonder if anyone else felt the conflict between feeling bad for Cecile while also wanting her to grow up? And who was the antagonist in this novel, or was there one at all?
Hi Spencer,
Wow, we have very similar thoughts but I feel that we are almost on opposing sides. I wonder if the reason why you lost respect for Anne while reading this story was that we had followed Cecile through the novel. Can we trust Cecile to be a reliable narrator? I really enjoyed what you said about which characters were the protagonists and antagonists, as it led me to realize that I don’t know either. I think that in each character’s mind, they are the protagonists. However, who is truly right and wrong is entirely up to the reader. To answer your question, I agree that I felt bad for her. I spoke about this in my blog post (https://tiffanirmst.wordpress.com/2022/02/14/bonjour-tristesse-a-relatable-narrator-with-an-unrelatable-story/), if you’d like to check it out! I feel as though a teenager or young adult should not be expected to be very grown up — we are all afraid of change and we are all trying to navigate our emotions in this terrifying time that’s full of change. Great post, Spencer!
Great insight! I find your analysis of Raymond’s influence on Cecile and their dynamic in relation to Anne to be spot on. Especially your understanding of Anne trying to come in as some kind savior and add structure to Cecile’s life, when after being exposed to so much freedom would feel like Anne is warden. Also, although this novel did explore some new and risky-seeming concepts for the time it was published, I feel as if I liked it more for that than the actual story.