Competing Images. The Posthumous Reception of Jean Genet

Abstract

Since the death of Jean Genet, his name and oeuvre have been the subject of heated debate. Influential critics have argued that Genet was an aristocratic anti-Semite, rather than a revolutionary poet who took sides with the outcasts. In this article, I analyze the positions, patterns, and strategies of this multifaceted debate, suggesting that provocation and marginalization constitute an integral part of Genet’s aesthetics. In the act of judging Genet from historical, political, and ethical perspectives, the critics operate as executors of his literary project, confirming the paratopic position the writer presumably desired.