Corporalité et langage dans Marilyn désossée d’Isabelle Wéry

Abstract

The novel Marilyn désossée (2013), by Isabelle Wéry, recounts the evolution of the sentimental and sensual relationships of the narrator, Marilyn Turkey, through three periods of her life (6-8 years old, 25 years old and forties). After presenting the structure of the book, this article analyzes the aesthetics of the writing, made up of linguistic bursts, lexical inventiveness, and graphic audacity, without denying Belgian style. It then analyzes the development of the sentimental and sexual identity of the narrator, paying attention to the gender spectrum. It is through confrontation with dual and multiple identities and a powerful relationship with the body that Marilyn’s personality is forged. Finally, the article shows how combining both corporeality and physical nature of language leads to the novel having a theatrical dimension.