« La terre nous est étroite » ou la représentation de l'étranger dans L’Île d'Armin Greder

Abstract

Armin Greder's picture book The Island is a powerful critique of the rejected stranger, told in a timeless and unlocatable society. Confronted with a group of individuals who condemn to death a destitute individual they first took in, the reader is invited to take a stand against this violence done to man. The rich intertext, somewhere between a Robinsonnade, a dystopia, a biblical myth, and a metaphorical reinterpretation of genocide, goes beyond its singular story to offer a universal reflection on the essence of the human being. The complex construction of the picture book, both familiar and yet exploding our understanding of the image, makes Greder's work an unusual must-have in children's literature, and an important addition to publishing.

Keywords

• children’s literature
• utopia
• picture book
• immigration
• Robinsonade
• Bible