Between Cynicism and Responsibility: A Levinasian Reading Of Bardamu in Voyage Au Bout De La Nuit (1932)

This article is an attempt to provide a Levinasian reading of the novel Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (1932) by Louis-Ferdinand Céline as way to reconsider the ethical component of the work’s protagonist, Ferdinand Bardamu. Classically considered as a deeply nihilistic and cynical character, Bardamu is here re-evaluated based on Emmanuel Levinas’s ethical philosophy, especially his notions of infinite responsibility, radical alterity, and the face of the Other. While Céline’s language and narrative style may seem to resist moral engagement, this study argues that Bardamu’s clear detachment and desperateness reveal deeper understanding of human condition and a shattered yet resilient awareness of responsibility. When locating Voyage au Bout de la Nuit within the context of abject literature and contrasting Bardamu’s character with traditional figures of the “ethical character,” the article highlights how Céline’s style-marked by disconnected structures and ideas, orality, and harsh emotional register-creates an ethical space through the narrative form itself. Considering critical studies and formerly understudied references to Céline in Levinas’s early works, the article eventually suggests that Voyage au Bout de la Nuit offers a powerful meditation on suffering, shame, and the possibility of moral awakening in a disenchanted world.