La solitude selon Huysmans: À vau-l’eau et À Rebours

This article explores the theme of solitude in J.-K. Huysmans’ narrative fictions À Rebours (Against the grain) (1884) and À vau-l’eau (With the Flow) (1882). Huysmans presents solitude as an existential condition, deeply intertwined with the characters’ psychological states and their estrangement from society. In À Rebours, the protagonist des Esseintes retreats into a self-imposed isolation, rejecting the external world in favor of an artificial, solitary existence. His solitude, however, leads to a deeper sense of alienation and psychological disintegration. In contrast, in À vau-l’eau, the character Folantin experiences solitude as a result of social and economic marginalization. His loneliness is not a choice, but rather a consequence of his failure to integrate into society. The study highlights how Huysmans uses solitude to illustrate the inherent struggles of individualism in modern society.