Elzéard Bouffier, Jean Giono’s Ecological Saint

Abstract

Known primarily as a sort of conservationist manifesto, Jean Giono’s short story “L’Homme qui plantait des arbres” has for the most part been overlooked by literary critics. Those studies that do exist tend to focus on themes and ecological message almost to the exclusion of the story’s protagonist, Elzéard Bouffier. But a close reading of the work suggests that, as was the case in the novel Un Roi sans divertissement, Giono used Provençal folklore, tree symbolism and Catholic traditions to develop the protagonist of “L’Homme qui plantait des arbres.” Indeed, the symbolism from the aforementioned sources transforms what is on a first reading a simple, straightforward character into a multi-dimensional character. As a result, Elzéard emerges as an ecological saint of sorts that is worthy of inclusion in the Pantheon of Giono’s unique protagnonists. What some see as primarily an ecological nouvelle à thèse is, in fact, a metaphorically dense text worthy of consideration by literary critics.