dimanche 7 octobre 2007

Back to the basics



A young man is reading at the terrace of a café place de la Nation in Paris, on a sunny Saturday of October 2007. Well, and then what? will you ask. There's nothing to write home about.

But wait, let's have a closer look at the book he's reading.





Now, which title do we read?

"De la démocratie en Amerique" by a certain Alexis de Tocqueville.

Please, will you notice that the young reader is holding a ball-pen which means he's studying the text, underlying what he thinks is worth memorizing etc.

I won't go in the "only in Paris" line (you could witness the same scene in Lyon, Bordeaux, or any other important French city) but at least our American friends can't accuse the French of ignorance when it comes to America and the classics of literature. Of course, not all young French read Tocqueville but this man at the terrace of the café is far from being an exception.

On average, are young Americans as aware of this classical text regarding their own country as the young Frenchman we see on this picture?

6 commentaires:

L'Amerloque a dit…

Hi Flocon !


/*/ .../… not all young French read Tocqueville but this man at the terrasse of the café is far from being an exception. …/… /*/

With all due respect … is it certain that the reader is French ? (grin) Or perhaps simply Francophone but -not- French ? (grin)


Best,
L'Amerloque

Flocon a dit…

Bien imaginé L'Amerloque!
Mais pour la beauté de la chose je m'en tiens à la version première...
Next time I'll check...
Anyway, doesn't he look French? Or do you need an ADN test? ;-)

LA Sunset a dit…

Hi Flocon,

//Anyway, doesn't he look French? //

He is in France. He's reading in French. We can establish that much. But he's wearing Nike shoes.

So, I guess my would be:

What does a Frenchman look like?

Anonyme a dit…

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Flocon a dit…

Salut Tokvil

Il est pas bien référencé mon blog? (lol)

Merci de ta visite...

Flocon a dit…

Hi LA.

A sharp eye you have! Now, look at the questionning l'Amerloque's suspiscion has arisen. ;-)

As to your question (What does a Frenchman look like?) my guess is that there's no answer to it.