Sébastien Roch is a novel written by the French journalist, novelist and playwright Octave Mirbeau, and published by Charpentier in 1890. Last French edition : L'Age d'Homme, 2011.
That is the emotional story of "the murder of a child’s soul" by a Jesuit priest, a teacher at the private school for boys of Saint-François-Xavier in Vannes, Brittany, where Mirbeau spent four painful years as a pupil, before being expelled, at the age of fifteen, in suspicious circumstances.
At age eleven, Sébastien is sent to boarding school by his father, an ironmonger and terrible snob. The boy does not fit into the school and its aristocratic and wealthy students. He is ignored by nearly everyone until an abusive priest starts to befriend him. The innocent 13-year-old boy is seduced, then sexually abused, by Father de Kern. Sébastien is expelled along with his only friend Bolorec, the boys having been accused of indulging in inappropriate sexual acts. The charges have been trumped up by Father de Kern.
Sébastien's life is ruined and he is unable to hold down a job or make friends. He cannot even build a relationship with Marguerite, his childhood sweetheart. Aged twenty one, Sébastien is absurdly killed during the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, his body being carried from the battlefield by Bolorec.
Octave Mirbeau denounces the child sexual abuses and the impunity of the rapists, especially when they are priests: for the first time, he breaks a lasting taboo.
But, for him, what is called education, within the context of family, school and church, is also a dangerous violation of the child's mind. Rather than a Bildungsroman, a novel of self-cultivation, Sébastien Roch is a novel of self-destruction.
(in French) Laurent Ferron, « Le Viol de Sébastien Roch : l’Église devant les violences sexuelles ».
Robert Ziegler, « Toward Death and Perfection in Octave Mirbeau’s Sébastien Roch ».
April 14, 2024
sébastien, roch, novel, sébastien, roch, novel, written, french, journalist, novelist, playwright, octave, mirbeau, published, charpentier, 1890, last, french, edition, homme, 2011, sébastien, rochauthoroctave, mirbeauoriginal, title, sébastien, roch, countryf. Sebastien Roch is a novel written by the French journalist novelist and playwright Octave Mirbeau and published by Charpentier in 1890 Last French edition L Age d Homme 2011 Sebastien RochAuthorOctave MirbeauOriginal title Sebastien Roch CountryFranceLanguageFrenchSubjectchild sexual abuse by priestsGenreNovelPublisherCharpentierPublication dateApril 1890OCLC23394078English translation Sebastien Roch Dedalus Empire of the senses 2000 266 pages ISBN 1873982437 Illustration by Henri Gabriel Ibels 1906Plot summary editThat is the emotional story of the murder of a child s soul by a Jesuit priest a teacher at the private school for boys of Saint Francois Xavier in Vannes Brittany where Mirbeau spent four painful years as a pupil before being expelled at the age of fifteen in suspicious circumstances At age eleven Sebastien is sent to boarding school by his father an ironmonger and terrible snob The boy does not fit into the school and its aristocratic and wealthy students He is ignored by nearly everyone until an abusive priest starts to befriend him The innocent 13 year old boy is seduced then sexually abused by Father de Kern Sebastien is expelled along with his only friend Bolorec the boys having been accused of indulging in inappropriate sexual acts The charges have been trumped up by Father de Kern Sebastien s life is ruined and he is unable to hold down a job or make friends He cannot even build a relationship with Marguerite his childhood sweetheart Aged twenty one Sebastien is absurdly killed during the 1870 Franco Prussian War his body being carried from the battlefield by Bolorec Commentary edit nbsp De Kern seen by Henri Gabriel Ibels 1906Octave Mirbeau denounces the child sexual abuses and the impunity of the rapists especially when they are priests for the first time he breaks a lasting taboo But for him what is called education within the context of family school and church is also a dangerous violation of the child s mind Rather than a Bildungsroman a novel of self cultivation Sebastien Roch is a novel of self destruction External links edit in French Octave Mirbeau Sebastien Roch in French Pierre Michel Foreword in French Laurent Ferron Le Viol de Sebastien Roch l Eglise devant les violences sexuelles Robert Ziegler Toward Death and Perfection in Octave Mirbeau s Sebastien Roch Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sebastien Roch novel amp oldid 1138061738, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
