J. M. G. Le Clézio's Urban Phantoms and the Paradox of Invisibility

Many ofLe Clézio'sprotagonists resemble phantasmal beings, appearing, disappearing, and reappearing without explanation in works such asDésert, Poisson d'or, andVoyages de l'autre côté. However, it is in the novellaFantômes dans la ruethat Le Clézio utilizes cinematic and metafictive techniques to develop this metaphor to its true potential, denouncing the evils ofmodernityand giving a voice to the disenfranchised andmarginalized. Le Clézio depicts the struggles of those on the periphery of society, presenting a bleak assessment of the ramifications ofglobalization. His destabilizing analogy breathes life into theinvisiblebeings haunting modern society.