The Role of Metaphors in "La Photographe" by Christophe Ferré

Christophe Ferré, in his novella La Photographe ( Twin Tower Lovers ), the French Academy Award for the best Novella of 2010, emphasizes the importance of emotions after the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Not only does the author condemn global terrorism, but he also criticizes the media for not conveying the depth of the message. This presentation focuses on the role of literature in global debates on tragedy and death. On September 11th, the main character of La Photographe takes pictures of Twin Tower victims. She suffers a personal loss, when her lover is trapped on the top floor of the Windows on the World restaurant. This study analyzes the tragic aspect of love and suffering through the use of metaphors and comparisons. There are multiple metaphors in this novella, such as “the towers of Babel attracting crazy planes”, “chimneys of crematory ovens”, “a beast at bay”, that give a mythical dimension to this horrible event in New York, proving that literature takes charge of sense and sensibility, offering a genuine reflection on love, suffering, and tragedy.