courage (19) marie desplechin
In these troubled times, we asked a number of authors we admire what ‘courage’ means to them. Over the past few weeks, you could read their answers here, in the form of a poem, a memory, an anecdote or a more philosophical reflection. This is the final episode.
Courage does not exist in its idle state: it reveals itself. For that reason, its effect might be described as dazzling. So it’s useless to speculate about the reserves we might draw on. The moment always comes early enough for us to know what kind of courage we will be able to show, and how much of it. These are times at which no one calls out, times we try – most often – to escape, but in vain.
In the all-inclusive trip of existence, fear, pain and rage all play their parts. It’s in the indignant surprise they cause us to suffer – when we are unarmed, vulnerable, exposed, brought back to our weaknesses – that courage suddenly appears. It is born from a weightless mix of primal reflexes and takes the unexpected shape of a dog. You’d been ignoring its existence and suddenly it’s here, snarling in the face of the enemy.
Look at how he holds the values of the past and the fear of the future in contempt. Look at how he starts to bark. Defend yourself like he defends you. Become the dog. Oh, you mustn’t expect a triumph. That’s not the point. You’ve seen more than one dog laid low. But there are more important things than victory.
Translated from the French by Daniella Shreir
Marie Desplechin (1959) has written many books for children (Séraphine, Verte, Le Journal d’Aurore) and adults. She received the Prix Médicis in 2005 for La Vie sauve, and the Grande Ourse du Salon du Livre Jeunesse de Montreuil in 2020. She regularly works as a journalist and as a screenwriter. She lives and works in Paris.
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