«Les promesses du passé sont des engagements d’avenir…»: L’epanortosi come resistenza al cambiamento da Jean-Luc Lagarce a Bernard-Marie Koltès

In this context, we will focus on the resistance to change by individuals who define themselves according to their roles. In our article, we will analyse two plays: the Serviteurs written by Jean-Luc Lagarce and Coco by Bernard-Marie Koltès. The protagonists, who have to face the disappearance of their masters, react through staunch verbal resistance. In particular, we will reflect on the precise moment of struggle for identity by those who define themselves based on their (asymmetrical) relationship with others. We will see how their effort of “persistence” is analysed in terms of identity in the reflection of Paul Ricoeur. The analysis of these two plays will also lead us to reflect on a particular use of epanorthosis (a figure of speech that implies movement), as a strategy of survival and resistance to change.