ABSTRACT
Martin du Gard now writes of the summer of 1914, the eve of the First World War. He develops the theme of war as the central issue over a period of 44 days. Not only is war discussed, but the political philosophy of Martin du Gard is gradually developed. The war affords a convenient framework in which to reveal his philosophy of striving for universal peace and by sustained analysis and scrutiny to render the continuation of war ‘unthinkable and unnecessary’. In order to obtain a clear perspective of Martin du Gard’s utopia and to assess the measure of his thought, it is necessary to follow the progressive development of his theme through his text. His own ideas evolve through the process of their presentation. He himself becomes involved and finally bewildered, as his abhorrence of war leads him to pacifism, his pacifism, in turn, making him examine the tenets of the socialist movement, convincing him of the necessity of revolution. However, his hereditary traits, the impact of his environment and the characteristics of the bourgeois class, which shape his thinking, make it strange for him to be a revolutionary. In his study of Martin du Gard’s life and works, Jacques Brenner emphasizes this obvious contradiction between the life of this writer and the philosophy of his works, bourgeois upbringing and revolutionary message.1 This limits the ability of du Gard to describe a revolutionary atmosphere which he does not know at first hand, but merely imagines. On the other hand he excels in writing a psychological novel in which his insight and
feelings are his sources of inspiration. In dealing with history, involving documents, events and their interpretation, movements and their organization, he feels utterly incompetent. In his correspondence, he writes frankly of this shortcoming,2 wishing he might have actually become a revolutionary, in order to have a better understanding of the subject. This explains the method du Gard adopts in discussing such topics as socialism and international relations. As a rule, he contents himself with stating the existing opinions about a problem. This not only satisfies his concern for impartiality but also relieves him from presenting unequivocal statements of his own attitude.
