Gargantua by François Rabelais
"Gargantua" is a novel by François Rabelais that follows the life of a giant named Gargantua and serves as a satirical exploration of societal norms, education, and human desires. Although it was not Rabelais's first work, it marks the beginning of the chronological adventures of the giant family, parodying the hagiographic biographies typically found in monastic literature. The narrative challenges conventional piety by focusing on characters who enjoy drinking and love, particularly those within the church.
The voice of the narrative is embodied by Alcofribas Nasier, a humorous figure who presents himself as a mock-scholar devoted to drinking. This character draws parallels to the dialogues of Plato, especially the Symposium, which similarly revolves around themes of love and social interaction. The story unfolds through Gargantua's life experiences, including a critique of the educational system, the establishment of a fictional Abbey of Thélème that promotes personal freedom, and various humorous and satirical episodes.
Rabelais's work is rich in verbal play, incorporating parodies, jokes, and social commentary that often require deeper analysis to fully appreciate. Despite its humorous surface, "Gargantua" reveals profound insights into the human experience and critiques societal repression, making it a significant literary work that continues to resonate with readers today.
Gargantua by François Rabelais
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1534 (English translation, 1653)
Type of work: Novel
The Work
Although not the first of Rabelais’s novels published, Gargantua begins the chronological adventures of the giant family. It promises to chronicle the life of the hero, as in the hagiographies (sacred biographies, or edifying lives of the saints) widely circulated in monasteries. It begins as a parody of these testaments to piety, inverting their conventions. Thus, instead of addressing the devout, it singles out different readers: glorious drinkers and chasers after love—especially those within the church.
Yet deeper meanings emerge. The persona through which Rabelais speaks, Alcofribas Nasier, is a mock-scholar, caught in his cups; his academic specialty is drinking. This characterization creates more fun but hints at hidden meanings. Rabelais establishes a parallel between Nasier’s dialogue and the dialogue form of Plato’s Symposium, which is also based on drinking party conversation, which contained Socrates’ teaching on love. He also repeats Alcofribas’s description of Socrates, which contrasts Socrates’ rough physical exterior with his rich internal wisdom. This book also has unexpected depths.
That these depths remain unexpected is a tribute to Rabelais’s art, for on the surface not much happens. After the prologue, Gargantua is conceived and born, clothed and fed. He travels to Paris for several “gigantic” experiences. He exposes abuses in the system of education and proposes a new method. Returning to the countryside, he encounters a cake sellers’ war, a dispute expressed in epic terms. Gaining control, Gargantua distributes provinces to his comrades but cannot find a place for Friar John, a renegade monk and his henchman. For him Gargantua creates the Abbey of Thélème, a fantasy community of personal freedom and self-realization. Rabelais inserts verbal games of every description: parodies of scholarly prose, satires on legal and social practices, comic verse, monastic jokes, academic jokes, dirty jokes. Some of the book remains undeciphered to this day, and much requires explanation, but Rabelais’s humor and vision of humanity suffering from repression make the book rich.
Bibliography
Bakhtin, Mikhail. Rabelais and His World. Translated by Helene Iswolsky. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1984.
Berry, Alice Fiola. The Charm of Catastrophe: A Study of Rabelais’s “Quart Livre.” Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Department of Romance Languages, 2000.
Bowen, Barbara C. Enter Rabelais, Laughing. Nashville, Tenn.: Vanderbilt University Press, 1998.
Coleman, Dorothy. Rabelais: A Critical Study in Prose Fiction. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1971.
Duval, Edwin M. The Design of Rabelais’s “Pantagruel.” New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1991.
Parkin, John. Interpretations of Rabelais. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 2002.
Screech, Michael A. Rabelais. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1979.
Stephens, Walter. Giants in Those Days: Folklore, Ancient History, and Nationalism. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1989.
Tetet, Marcel. Rabelais. New York: Twayne, 1967.