Living in History

Irène Némirovsky’s novel, Suite Française, is very unique. What sets it apart from other accounts of the Nazi occupation of Paris is the fact it was written not only while these events were taking place but it expressed the profound reflections on the times by the author as well. Rarely, if at all, in literature is a diary of events combined with a personal interpretation of those same incidents in the same literary work.

The stories about the various situations of different but intertwined people portray the author’s viewpoint, insights and conclusions into the reaction of average citizens to a time of war. What most war narratives often overlook is the silence, the lulls created between short-lived attacks when people carry on with their lives. These respites from the battles of war make up the most of their time. This would be the kind of life, the majority of the population would experience, moments off the battlefield.

Némirovsky’s upbringing and personal life influenced her reflections on the ways certain types of people most likely handled the war. She came from an upper class family, and had a dysfunctional relationship with her mother whom cared more about appearance than tending for her daughter. This dismay with Nemirovsky’s held her upbringing is manifest in Madame Péricand, the female patriarch of a wealthy family whom refuses to stray from the proper values upon which her societal position is based, even in the extraordinary times of war that call for flexibility. On the other hand, Jeanne Michaud, is a lower class woman whom is what Madame Péricand and Némirovsky’s own mother were not: she displays a compassion for people without having underlying personal motives of self-promotion. Rather, Ms. Michaud motivation is solely for the actual good of the people she helps. The actions of these woman during the tragedies of war represented Némirovsky’s reflection on people whom she knew.

She is frequently sarcastic and uses irony in her rhetoric to persuade the audience to arrive at their own conclusion. She avoids bluntly defined statements which have no room for interpretation. Némirovsky’s style and portrayals allow the reader to connect with history apart from the gore of war by reflecting on how the war impacted the lives of people. How the war impacted the majority of the population should not be discounted as it was frequently a life altering experience.