
In this incisive work, the timeless figures of Adam and Eve are repurposed as symbols of innate human instinct and feeling, standing against the rigid “social scaffolding” that the author calls Brid’oison. Set against the backdrop of a France still bruised by the Great War, the narrative questions whether a society that elevates individual liberty can also shoulder its collective duties. Through vivid observations and pointed commentary, it probes the contradictions of a nation that glorifies heroic sacrifice yet neglects the everyday welfare of families, workers, and children.
The author invites listeners to contemplate a vision of reform that balances personal freedom with social responsibility, urging a renewal of laws, education, and public discourse. By exposing the injustices embedded in outdated customs and legal codes, the text challenges readers to imagine a more humane, equitable order. It offers a thoughtful, early‑twentieth‑century perspective on the struggles that still echo in today’s debates about gender, labor, and the role of the state.
Language
fr
Duration
~3 hours (197K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
France: Flammarion, 1919.
Credits
René Galluvot (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica))
Release date
2023-02-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1860–1918
A French novelist and man of letters, he wrote across fiction, memoir, and criticism, often with a sharp eye for society and history. He also collaborated with his brother Victor, making the Margueritte name familiar in French literary life of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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