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PARTISAN REVIEW
("archicubes ," in Normalien), respectively the products of the classes
of 1891 , 1883 ; and 1898 . With their three-piece suits and chain wat–
ches, these dignified members of the Coalition of the Left smilingly
applaud the jokes of an unknown twenty-year-old Jean-Paul Sartre .
What else can one say about this elitist complicity that , for the length
of a social evening, brings together such different people, with op–
posing convictions, simply because of a ridiculous yet powerful tie ,
the address: 45 Rue d'Ulm?
On this occasion , Normalien spirit plays a crucial role for a
man like Edouard Herriot, because today he is only a prime minister
on a reprieve . Since the accession of the left to power , on May 24 ,
the financial crisis and a number of managerial mistakes have ac–
celerated the political decline that will result in Poincare forcing him
to resign, on April 10 of the following year. "What a surprise ,"
Georges Canguilhem, kept repeating to himself in the wings while
jotting down a short text to greet the illustrious guests. In a few
minutes , he scribbled a few lines of verse, variations on the theme of
"The Little Wooden Soldier," which charmed the professors, en–
chanted their daughters , and delighted Herriot - all in all, a great
success. Then the desks were moved and drinks were poured . Only
when Herriot climbed onto a table and started speaking did some
begin to feel they had solved the mystery of his visit. Up there , sur–
rounded by parents, professors , and actors , he sang a song he had
sung the day of his graduation. But this song was not a gratuitous
gesture , in the spirit of a young, irreverent Normalien . Rather , it
expressed his desire - unconscious or deliberate - to reassert his ties
with his alma mater, and maybe also gain its political support.
8
During the following years, Sartre delighted in displaying his
talents as actor, singer, and pianist. He had found a perfect way to
put his inadequate height to good use, since all he needed was a
beard and the Legion of Honor to become a perfect double of
Gustave Lanson . In 1926, he even received the recognition of the
press after appearing in a revue with a Proustian title: "A l'Ombre
des jeunes billes en fleurs" (something like "In the Shade of Billiard
Balls in Bloom"). The March 22d issue of
l 'Oeuvre
read , "A student by
the name of Sartre brilliantly essayed the role of M. Lanson," and
featured a photo of the young actor. On the other hand , the Revue
of 1927 went down in the school's annals as the nastiest, most
8. All the information concerning the student revues is drawn from a conversation
with Georges Canguilhem.
