29th Annual Student Research Conference
Tout le monde est fou!: An analysis of resistance through the use of anachronisms in Astérix Comics
Olumayomide Coker
Dr. Patrick Lecaque, Faculty Mentor
With more than 37 albums and over 100 translations, The Adventures of Astérix have spanned the globe. The delightful graphic comics depict the misadventures of two Gauls, Astérix and Obélix, in 50 BCE Gaul, which is France today. Astérix and Obélix travel throughout the world and bring along their strong French identity. A theme that rings throughout the albums is that of resistance. In the French originals, the stubborn nature of the Gauls reflects the resistant nature of the French. Authors René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo use carefully placed anachronisms to relate the misadventures to the modern age. This form of resistance invokes hilarity among comic lovers with misplaced elements such as caricatures of famous individuals, stereotypical depictions of other countries, generational differences, and recreations of historical events. Through the use of anachronisms, Goscinny and Uderzo created a new world that resists what should be and allows what could be.
Keywords: Astérix, Uderzo, Goscinny, French Identity, Resistance, Anachronisms, Obélix
Topic(s):French Capstone
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -3
Location: VH 1212
Time: 10:00