The
character of the Souillonne was taken from Norman Beaupré’s
first novel, Le Petit Mangeur de Fleurs, an autobiographical novel
that came out in 1999.
The author found so fascinating
the figure of a marginalized woman carrying on her shoulders the burden
of destiny, at times exhausting and at the same time invigorating,
that he made her the protagonist of a dramatic monologue, not unlike
that of Antonine Maillet’s La Sagouine. In fact, the Souillonne
can be considered the Franco-American Sagouine. The Souillonne reveals,
through her stories, a life full of setbacks, low self-esteem, and
friendships preserved in the depths of her very soul. Rooted in unshakeable
common sense, much like the people who are used to daily toil (such
as mill workers), the Souillonne’s way of telling things is direct
and, at times, harsh. She pours out her heart and expresses, in no
uncertain terms, her view of things.
This dramatic monologue
was performed in Paris, Dijon, and Angers, as well as in Lamèque,
N.B., Lewiston, and Biddeford, Maine.
.
ISBN: 1-60594-354-1 Paperback
Format: 5 x 8 in - 138 pages
Language: English
Published by Llumina
Press.
