Federman's 'À qui de droit' Examines Form and Trauma

Raymond Federman's novel 'À qui de droit' (Éditions Al Dante) grapples with the impossibility of narrating trauma after surviving the 1942 Vel' d'Hiv Roundup. The book follows Sarah and her Cousin (Federman's fictional double, a sculptor) as Holocaust survivors living in lands of false promises and false representation. Federman employs fragmentation, dialogism, digressions, and typographical play to avoid direct storytelling, arguing that 'to tell a story is to discredit it.' He critiques the replacement of historical sites with modern art museums, calling the museum a 'monstrosity' that erases memory. The text is structured as ten dated chapters from Sunday 20 November to Tuesday 21 March, shifting toward a writing diary. Federman cites Diderot and William Blake ('Fire delights in its form') but struggles to find the right tone, ultimately confessing failure. The novel ends with the word 'ÉPUISÉ' (exhausted), chosen by his daughter for his tombstone.