Silence and solitude in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle

Abstract

In this article I examine the ways in which Michel Butor, in Les Naufragés de l’Arche (1981), and Éric Chevillard, in L’Arche Titanic (2022), describe their respective visits to the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris. Both authors affirm the importance of coming face to face with physical specimens of animals, and for them animal life and lexical life are inextricably linked. In these texts, engaging with animals, even taxidermy specimens, is essential, not just to encourage work towards keeping animal populations alive, but also for ensuring continued literary creativity.