Entre les murs
Entre les murs (German: Die Klasse ) is a novel by François Bégaudeau that was published by Gallimard in 2006 . In his fourth novel, the author describes a whole year of his teaching life in a Paris school. With this work, Bégaudeau made the breakthrough and also attracted attention beyond the borders of France. In 2008, a successful film adaptation of the same name followed (English title: Die Klasse ).
action
The young teacher François teaches French at a school in the deprived area of the 19th arrondissement of Paris . This is one of the training centers of the so-called Zones d'Éducation Prioritaire , special school policy support zones. At the beginning of the school year, François is confronted with his protégés, mainly immigrant children of North African, Black African and Chinese origins between the ages of 13 and 15. The same scenario is presented to him day in and day out: inability, unwillingness and lack of education on the part of the students and commitment, frustration, weariness, bare nerves and disciplinary measures on the part of the teachers. In the middle of it all, François tries incessantly to convey not only necessary facts and linguistic competence to his students, but also social values of human coexistence, respect and tolerance. Despite a few adversities, he does not give up, does not avoid confrontations, fights against refusal to perform and aggression, promotes the strengths of young people with unconventional methods and admits his own weaknesses.
Characteristics
With this novel, François Bégaudeau provides a nuanced picture of the situation in schools in problematic Parisian districts by processing his experience as a teacher of French and literature. The book documents the everyday experiences of the first-person narrator in numerous individual scenes and is - like the school year itself - divided into 136 daily segments and five vacation periods. This results in the division into five chapters, each of which begins when the first-person narrator arrives at school - then the cycle of lessons, conferences and disciplinary proceedings is repeated. This structure thus reflects the monotony and sadness of living and learning in this environment. The narrative captivates with its linguistic style, especially since dialogues directly and abruptly reproduce the statements of the students and the language is rich in familiar expressions and expressions characteristic of the suburbs. The narrative style is also shaped by the inability of many students to speak. On the one hand, the title refers to the classroom or the school premises itself, but on the other hand it indicates the students' imprisonment in their suburbs, their bleak and hopeless existence as members of less educated classes. Sarcastic, ironic, humorous and at the same time serious, Bégaudeau encounters the problems of the French school system and thus important issues facing society. Entre les murs stands out from other diary-like depictions of everyday school life from the point of view of the educators, although the focus is on aspects such as inequality, integration, cultural and social exclusion, which come to bear in a radical way in the classroom. The language and style of dialogue create a realism that intensifies the energy and power of the moments between teacher and students, allowing optimism and hope to prevail.
Awards
The French bestseller received the Prix France Culture / Télérama and was filmed in 2008 with François Bégaudeau in the leading role. The film of the same name by director Laurent Cantet was awarded the Palme d'Or in Cannes and nominated for an Oscar in the category of best foreign language film .
Book editions
- Entre les murs . Éditions Verticales, Paris 2006, ISBN 2-07-077691-3
- Entre les murs . Gallimard, Paris 2007, ISBN 978-2-07-034290-7
- The class . German by Katja Buchholz and Brigitte Große . Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2008, ISBN 978-3-518-46031-3
- Entre les murs . Scenario de François Bégaudeau, Laurent Cantet and Robin Campillo . Reclam, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-15-019772-1
