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To die will be an awfully big adventure : enfance, perte et nostalgie (Terminale)

Fiche à imprimer : le cours, les trois exercices et le corrigé (sur une page à part). Revenir au cours en ligne

AnglaisFrançais
loss / griefla perte / le deuil, le chagrin
mortalityla condition mortelle
eternal childhoodl'enfance éternelle
biographical criticismla critique biographique
It would be reductive to...Il serait réducteur de...
To die will be an awfully big adventure.Mourir sera une terriblement grande aventure.

Derrière l'aventure, Peter Pan parle de la mort et de la perte. Quand Barrie avait six ans, son frère aîné David mourut à 13 ans dans un accident ; leur mère resta inconsolable, se consolant à l'idée que David resterait à jamais un petit garçon. Plus tard, Barrie devint le tuteur des cinq garçons Llewelyn Davies, orphelins ; deux d'entre eux moururent jeunes. Sur le Rocher des Naufragés, Peter, sur le point de se noyer, pense : To die will be an awfully big adventure. Faut-il lire l'œuvre à la lumière de la vie de l'auteur ?

Mise en situation : le séminaire

Teacher : Is Peter Pan really a children's story?
Peter Pan est-il vraiment une histoire pour enfants ?
Lea : On the surface, yes. But it's full of loss. Peter never grows up, which can also mean he never really lives.
En apparence, oui. Mais elle est pleine de perte. Peter ne grandit jamais, ce qui peut aussi vouloir dire qu'il ne vit jamais vraiment.
Adam : Barrie's brother died at thirteen, and his mother found comfort in the idea that he would always remain a boy. This reading suggests that Peter is a kind of ghost.
Le frère de Barrie est mort à treize ans, et sa mère se consolait à l'idée qu'il resterait toujours un petit garçon. Cette lecture suggère que Peter est une sorte de fantôme.
Teacher : So should we read the book through the author's biography?
Faut-il donc lire le livre à travers la biographie de l'auteur ?
Lea : It would be reductive to explain everything by his life. The book works on its own: it's about every child's fear of change.
Il serait réducteur de tout expliquer par sa vie. Le livre fonctionne seul : il parle de la peur du changement de chaque enfant.
Adam : I agree, but knowing his life adds depth. When Peter says 'To die will be an awfully big adventure', it sounds brave and terribly sad at the same time.
D'accord, mais connaître sa vie ajoute de la profondeur. Quand Peter dit « Mourir sera une terriblement grande aventure », c'est à la fois courageux et terriblement triste.

À retenir

  • loss, grief, mortality, eternal childhood, a guardian, biographical criticism.
  • It would be reductive to... ; This reading suggests that... ; on the surface ; it adds depth ; at the same time.

Exercice 1 : Enfance, perte et nostalgie : exercice 1 (QCM)

  1. « le deuil, le chagrin »
    1. grief
    2. grief of
    3. greed
  2. « la perte »
    1. lose
    2. loss
    3. lost
  3. « l'enfance éternelle »
    1. eternal childhood
    2. eternal childness
    3. eternity child
  4. « Il serait réducteur de... »
    1. It would be reducted to...
    2. It would be reductive to...
    3. It will be reductive of...
  5. « Cette lecture suggère que... »
    1. This reading suggests that...
    2. This lecture suggests that...
    3. This reading suggest that...
  6. Le frère de Barrie est mort à...
    1. 3 ans
    2. 13 ans
    3. 30 ans
  7. Barrie est devenu le tuteur des garçons...
    1. Llewelyn Davies
    2. Darling
    3. Liddell
  8. « en apparence »
    1. at surface
    2. in the surface
    3. on the surface
  9. « ajoute de la profondeur »
    1. adds deep
    2. adds a depth of
    3. adds depth
  10. « un tuteur (légal) »
    1. a guardian
    2. a guard of
    3. a gardener

Exercice 2 : Enfance, perte et nostalgie : exercice 2 (à compléter)

  1. It's full of .......................... .
  2. Peter never grows .......................... .
  3. His mother found .......................... in that idea.
  4. This reading .......................... that Peter is a kind of ghost.
  5. It would be .......................... to explain everything by his life.
  6. The book works on its .......................... .
  7. Knowing his life adds .......................... .
  8. To die will be an awfully big .......................... .
  9. It sounds brave and sad at the same .......................... .
  10. On the .......................... , it's a children's story.

Exercice 3 : Enfance, perte et nostalgie : mise en situation

  1. Le prof demande si c'est vraiment pour enfants.
    1. Is Peter Pan really a childrens' story?
    2. Is Peter Pan really a children's story?
    3. Peter Pan is really a children's story?
  2. En apparence, oui.
    1. On the surface, yes.
    2. At the surface, yes.
    3. In the surface, yes.
  3. Peter ne vit jamais vraiment.
    1. He never really live.
    2. He never really lives.
    3. He really never lives of.
  4. Sa mère se consolait de cette idée.
    1. His mother founded comfort in the idea.
    2. His mother found comfort in the idea.
    3. His mother found comfortable in the idea.
  5. Cette lecture fait de Peter un fantôme.
    1. This reading suggest that Peter is kind of ghost.
    2. This lecture suggests that Peter is a kind of ghost.
    3. This reading suggests that Peter is a kind of ghost.
  6. Le prof demande s'il faut lire à travers la biographie.
    1. Should we read the book trough the author's biography?
    2. Should we to read the book through the biography?
    3. Should we read the book through the author's biography?
  7. Il serait réducteur de tout expliquer.
    1. It would be reductive explaining everything by his life.
    2. It would be reductive to explain everything by his life.
    3. It will be reductive to explain everything with his life.
  8. Le livre fonctionne seul.
    1. The book works on it's own.
    2. The book work on its own.
    3. The book works on its own.
  9. Connaître sa vie ajoute de la profondeur.
    1. Knowing his life add deep.
    2. Know his life adds depth.
    3. Knowing his life adds depth.
  10. Tu conclus.
    1. Ultimately, Peter Pan speak to both children and adults.
    2. Ultimately, Peter Pan speaks to both children and adults.
    3. Ultimate, Peter Pan speaks to both childs and adults.

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. a) grief · 2. b) loss · 3. a) eternal childhood · 4. b) It would be reductive to... · 5. a) This reading suggests that... · 6. b) 13 ans · 7. a) Llewelyn Davies · 8. c) on the surface · 9. c) adds depth · 10. a) a guardian

Exercice 2

1. loss · 2. up · 3. comfort · 4. suggests · 5. reductive · 6. own · 7. depth · 8. adventure · 9. time · 10. surface

Exercice 3

1. b) Is Peter Pan really a children's story? · 2. a) On the surface, yes. · 3. b) He never really lives. · 4. b) His mother found comfort in the idea. · 5. c) This reading suggests that Peter is a kind of ghost. · 6. c) Should we read the book through the author's biography? · 7. b) It would be reductive to explain everything by his life. · 8. c) The book works on its own. · 9. c) Knowing his life adds depth. · 10. b) Ultimately, Peter Pan speaks to both children and adults.