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MARAMBAT - de MALAFOSSE
161
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[AUTOGRAPH]. HARRY (Myriam). AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT SIGNED ‘My…
See original version (French)
161
-
[AUTOGRAPH]. HARRY (Myriam). AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT SIGNED ‘My…
See original version (French)
Estimate €100 - €150
Voluntary lot
Description
[AUTOGRAPH]. HARRY (Myriam). AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT SIGNED ‘Myriam Harry’, ENTITLED ‘OFFICIERS DE BATT. D’AF.’ [OFFICERS OF THE AFRICAN BATTALIONS]. No place or date. Five handwritten pages in violet ink, numbered 2 to 5 after the first page, on sheets of squared paper (34.5 × 22 cm), with numerous cross-outs, corrections and interlinear additions. Yellowed paper, with a horizontal crease down the centre, small tears and marginal losses; old repairs and traces of browned adhesive tape, affecting the text in places but not impeding legibility. A VIBRANT PLEA ON BEHALF OF THE YOUNG OFFICERS OF THE AFRICAN BATTALIONS. Taking as her starting point the reports of ill-treatment inflicted on the ‘Joyeux’, the writer and novelist Myriam HARRY (1869–1958) seeks to draw attention to their young lieutenants, who are also subjected to isolation, the harsh climate and a gruelling garrison life. She contrasts the aspirations of these officers, who had come to Africa in search of adventure or a career, with the monotony of their existence and their disillusionment. The text describes the loneliness, debt, alcohol and ‘the blues’ that weigh them down, culminating in this question: ‘What had they known of life? What joy, what pride? None.’ The writer concludes by appealing to the Minister of War to come to the aid of this ‘heroic youth’. A HEAVILY REVISED WORKING MANUSCRIPT of a journalistic text. Its significance lies in the emphasis placed on the psychological suffering of the young officers and the perspective it offers on the military establishment in North Africa.
See original version (French)
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