Week Six: Françoise Sagan, Bonjour Tristesse

This week, the book I read was Bonjour Tristesse. I have to say, out of all the books that I have read thus far in this class, this was one of the ones I enjoyed the most. It was a very easy, fun story to read and I believe that had something to do with the relatability of the main character’s age and personality. I honestly truly enjoyed reading Cécile as a character. She is a naive, young, negligent and intense girl. As she made her plans and plotted against Anne and her father, it seemed as if she was pretty careless with her actions. She kept changing her mind on whether or not she wanted to continue carrying out her plan, and because of her indecisiveness, she kind of neglected the consequences that resulted from her actions. She would leave Cyril and Elsa in the dark by not giving them an update on the plan for days if she felt like it and just used them as chess pieces in her game. She seems to represent the very essence of a seventeen year old girl who has been spoiled with the comfort of knowing that she will never be in need of anything and that everything will work itself out in the end. The fact that the author was also 18 when she wrote this story is probably why Cécile’s character feels so real. It was very easy to understand the way she thought about life and to sympathize with her because she was so honest.

There’s something bubble-like about the way she lives her life. She is quite sheltered from the struggles of the outside world thanks to her father, his money and his status. She doesn’t have to fend for herself in terms of making a living or even going to school. I almost want to protect her little bubble forever because it feels so worry-free and quaint. However, there’s also a sense of danger that comes with this type of carelessness. It allows her to justify meddling and playing around with other people and their lives, like she did with Anne and the relationship she had with Cécile’s father. While she’s not obviously completely responsible for what happened to Anne, there’s something of a warning in there about cause and effect, and being prudent about the consequences that can arise as a result of playing God. 


Here is my question this week: How much responsibility should Cécile feel about Anne’s accident, if any?


Comments

  1. Maia G.February 15, 2022 at 12:49 PM

    Hello!

    I, too, found Cécile to be a very sympathetic character, despite her carelessness. I think it's interesting that you describe her as "sheltered," because I wouldn't normally picture a "sheltered" person as one who runs free and does whatever she likes; but considering her general privilege and the lack of consequences that she tends to face, I would definitely agree with you.

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  2. MONFebruary 15, 2022 at 8:54 PM

    Hello, I really enjoyed your post, but even more your question. I beleive that in theory, none, she did not cause it herself, at the end the "accident" falls on annes hands, but, a more emotional and maybe less rational human would feel guilt, maybe not resposability but guilt, which there is not much of.

    -Montserrat Avendano

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  3. harshi jhaveriFebruary 16, 2022 at 12:54 PM

    Hi Lisa!
    Great post:) You mention some very interesting points! I agree with what you have to say about relatability and how it makes reading the novel all the more enjoyable. I, too, found Cécile's character to be pretty fascinating and overall really enjoyed following her journey. As for your question, I don't think Cécile should feel responsible at all. At the end of the day, it was an accident that happened independent of her. Despite there being some warning for cause and effect of playing God, as you mention, I don't think it's responsibility that she should be feeling, but maybe this incident should act as a reality check of sorts instead?
    -Harshi

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  4. deeFebruary 16, 2022 at 8:04 PM

    I agree, Cecile definitely seemed to be living in her own little bubble. Personally I found her ignorance pretty infuriating but at the same time I agree that I wish she could have somehow stayed in it for longer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Devanshi SanghaviFebruary 25, 2022 at 12:32 AM

    Hey! I really liked how you highlighted how Sagan portrays Cécile's careless character and how it is a reflection of her age. Furthermore, the idea of he bubble that she lives in is also very intriguing. Your question is a tough one to answer because it seems like there is no right response! It would be horrible to say that a 17 year old played any part in her accident, but her actions are also eat drove her to take such a route.

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