Food tor Thongtit Louis Marin ‘Translated, with an Afterword, by Mette Hjort ‘The Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore and London( ‘The Fabulous Animal ‘What is the meaning ofthe taking animal i fb ‘lous discourse? One response is that we are dealing with an alle: tory of man, Indoed, But what might this allegory imply? We ean ‘Pepin to answer this question by saying that i points to the ‘tion ofthe clinamen, tothe point of contact Between a number ff terms: between talking and eating, verbaiey and only the Satine forse preseration and the linguistic drive, My thesis is {sfollows. the fabulous talking animal i a igure ofthis fiction of the infinitesimal swerve, ofthe clinamen imagined tobe the oi fin. The animal figuring in fables is properly animal in hati = {resented 8 body that both eats and is eaten. Yet this animal {iso apeaks In the fable, the animal simulates a symbolic regres: ‘Sion othe level of nstinee we have here a ction that lates the brigin of discourse in Eros and destruction, and which would Serve the function of depriving the rulers oftheir power over dis- ‘Right atthe beginning of La Fontaine “Life of Aesop" which ates fom 1668, we find a shore story presented inthe guise of an Introduction tothe Firse Collection of Selected Fables, wale (by chance!) describing the origin of the fabulator,ehe fable also {dlls 2 ey about the origin of che fable. This rather odd story hharates and reveals, chen the way in which a sory is produced Ja wholly selfzellexive manner, the fable describes itself in the ‘process of telling a fable. What we have here isthe story's endless Feferal to the act of narration that produces it, as well as thespe gans Aa wag pep Asya gs OS hse fey eon au se oy cnn 204 AN Spon ane pd sve rp fop 200 yp paulo os NONE JP Pou ay won alge Sanam sgh aacr © pases UY 9 ed ecryid ons og a jo agedene ea we 2 aa Seas nm nga nu NO Yee I scpldras sf af" Bupa su, sues yeux sos snoy spt nar ‘sisemurss pu stundB 3} “Su0 OWE 10 eur “pu up ofa 2feads suruea 29 15 "Uru #90 20 ana | Ame 0 “ane 204 s20p dasay zon a Ut peoye oo] sh seq TI9 P jo tazoy agp er SOUS UEuM APog pep Fu pauO “Sudeur pura poo? w sweiayg oqp jo azn seaqesrgu AIgese “ona agp yore aoe aos ayy Surufog Eas agp 0H ancy ore 2 Jo aopundoper po ‘ay pan ee thos est fa uf 9u0 og ou Fem 2 un F © a0 ros 2q ap ats sen at aS ase oe ei BEATE 7 Sina yap Sense Sos am ua SONNY DE ey 2p jo sours a PoyoN sas fpuey pur ase PuE PECTIC Tw tog tem put poo! Ae + ext ode pom e Syyesoy a ynge tos oy wows uo asus [jue 201 “Za papa 0 poe 83] tI 7 Sepa ay EP ermmy i sues adedo peas. xp uno axes ‘log sn ob canary popes uns ey “ogg © se Goney snsury pu sao yp 88 ys es arONINOD ue STE oH "ot pe aoumor jo Ans pur apes yo OT at 1 Jowfnassy ayes ay eh Jo rou as sooRoUny seu Jo uomrnnbor yousunyddne angy, rss ena 2peer 3 CL Erde so reraa ese sass oaanpe any ine “Gey enu soe pg se esr 3 8 Gg6 9p JO PUP 2B IV “Yovods jo ssuod Sp panaast 1 0H sq WEG BuUNONE PE among) spoq ston © stro a Weel aN, soy Jo fy op Jo 2a ayo yeas ope ret sy TN "eON “pe U-psmosop sf pu sznos ypeg te SPOR © ot IgE 8 uror ti euran snore ws on 8 esp © S24 ONE hyo papeionp ure woponpane oq sip wn owt ‘aL abr aag sama i Lt suas oss jo suas Sona pon Sug aos tp een te dts ap yo aftsr ese otnszno fgg ge gabe Bay Baar Sores 3p 0p as a 0 wae 30 28 we yo Bu sspUD oP aN * ray noqngeg oa“6 Bat, Speak and Write eee eee crepen ol ls op er gets amt Rene Saget Neen ot Pare Nee Tic orca ee nce i tare gore ch at eter emi eta aro ye ee ae te ‘siti anh i See oe ey ay an See scons tremens Sas ris Pee ee Pp ep eke ree a | pita ieee selene ot | BEMSSaee eters Seed ae ee ee Pano we ere ota rae ecient eee re | sare cp nee lag pmol i ola ene oe een seen ey ba i oe Se ee Se wir actin payee scree dlr at eee ene ne eae ep eer Re aes ee | Pee eee raat ae | Sis ese ae te Hol gesture effecting delay, spatialization, and divergence is some- | Eocene eer, Ot es Se ec aca eee eects nae eee ee eet Tee foreman Sree a ee ee fet eee oe rom sn robes, aise is pci ening tends 0 be cosets Yona te fat seeing tne and et at “fence tance pep ot eperting en te co (exo he Kings loca ay and Pa cr cigs aad at ‘Shia ditense eneLBRARES U. = s meee: snp pst |e as yg 8 9 208 PP FS ae EE Sod doen nad a dovoy of aed] ayngute TuaWOr © soy sn wy qc ato ards! 8s typ ng wR ‘Dhrmog eso ojesanune¥apaasd vous rato ry pods: “eso Your por su sou sop dosey "yea 0 Bp 2 Ships doqouor one wonevusidas aupeute gmndogydly “ay ao soured np soasqe af 0} wneud we apni on ae AN HE, Sh an sodse(pvonmesradar nyo sus A oTeEeENS we Seige ienamonp eonaaradar ares 19 YB 00 080 pose od some sf ayn 29 bed ap Jo wopeitroeay axa Rip nt ump sions sa sndoxpey vey aoe ay sm 2, ‘uo oy uae ago soe a 9 0d xp URS © 3 pou eave a saypues Soe arnooep HETES SLL, Sa ca ue ory en domoy 0 pr pastas amy 8 8 ‘Fonenp a posi dovoy aoc Jo past woo #30 ‘ens ef 20 ahs Aan sty ‘suos sp usa 6 sogs San paced eyo snoge aot sade amo ae meet jen oman oy aygeet munoast sms ed ay uoautre e Buguneop Jo aan A Bug sesoH SHR ‘Soou sp 1 nq see 5 UOMERONAE ey ans st SUT yp ous poe worn ap Seog sree AUG a 28009 Jip any aos evn uve 00,16 = 1 30] ‘ut stat oui at Ho ‘pur uDRINEDsND!w aITOON aA) ‘py au ap 89 soy ep ¥ sas Huon ae ORM ON FO ‘Rircbup op da tung spon sip yo wausRuer ox OU Sa prensa 309 6 poo! ae sexy aon sop cH SOO po Spun spaow 2p Spnsedo pip anos oe agp SL “ian upuodsar yo aqgedeacy aq. ye donay sein somser rt aya Souq andtor yo euan > 0 ge 3 Soe spans aus ag fea a] 7 aad uv eds do. dovoy oo Due 90 a> spunea pues ‘Seve om er syne ssp ag eeemoeueyS wp AeuNS Reso top smap pu ‘pourstos ‘pargeatee “porsoionst Beosohar Suv ung snoop seg pawedaeep aay oi Tiiae et sgnnt og. faonng pe ssopsad 1040 300 “pests Saw ag or by 29 soo soqnotoysoroy om upyoor ost aye ag s3tng gn dos “epee amos ys pan. ae oe sysres as op G0%8 og fo Surursag Ap [POH AL REE ‘p90 Apo ann ue pq ay uzEG a Og SaTANSUOD EN $99 » rama snoqegns HLet Speak, and white ‘house but this was only by chance. Moreover, 1 do nt ike fis would say in return At that poi, it ‘Lian object. The thing has been eaten, Ie serve that i 8 reco" Ska but only a a representation in story. "It was Aesop who cre ign kays Agathopus, Had e been able to speak, Aesop elk have responded with "No, didnot, Azathopus did." Thus, Wencee am adversarial Agathopus who constitutes the narzative $oay“acrop as an eater offs, an asimulating stomach, this i¢ rey ay of speech and words is constituted, fis all oo well Fen that beasts are voracious In Agathopust story this acs ‘Ei takes a bodily form Mereover, the story ineluetable eon cresbars punishment. The maser, who is in the position of che Sibncr pases sentence on Aesop. Aesop ito be kiled this isthe a) immediate implication of the story, of the narsative {ind monologie tepresentation proffered by Aesthopus, “oso, heer, does respond tb the accusation, As we Dave ‘sean Ti fre gesture of response is one of deferca, serving 10 Soeu up a space of possibility within the moment of urgency. His ‘SBeture sce the stage for a counterdiscounse, for # discourse Beh will not, however, be spoken, Here I want to emhsize ‘is response belongs “Sud consis of ts deferral To the body of verbal narration to the areal record or representation of the past, Aesop opposes ¢ ‘alert Kind of body. This oppositional bosy is against neither See nor myth. ee an ane body which has sts salient char SEESEde a temporality that is of the present, cat is of & pune: seats implanted in an apostasy. Ths counteriscourse deers {he present moment and sets che stage for a gestae involving > plication and distanciaton ‘Sf nihat then, docs this fabulous antibody consist? Aesop dens Iukewarm water, puts his fingers down his throat, and Shows up the water that be bas just ingested, This gesture {volves the staging of two bodily functions that characterize thespoon oy sa sysgns sSuup ‘uuo o aud sty ut Toypey spuam ssndouney iq pale dqqsuao aor ayy st sup ouDoge aR UT LR Sunuosaidar 4q sSuryp 205 atmnsgRS r0H op sproM, "woREITEE ‘po eo vq Xpog anenze ojo you siteua9 yey 2304 033 sn aoe asec dos pg rye yO SoUApEp si SERIAL 3H "UDUDUTD 3A Jo SMAKS mp "Su eee gr en ma ecen wr coqpesens ot rd “uso sy aya ‘osyy 4 samsuooar 2 Sendowpesy Aq payunaat Buus ayn Jo 2422s aed agp soonpoudax dosoy “suas © ul rot, pavenyasooe sf ange payoas usa ays SUM ap saNCOOW “panoyas uaxn pu "soy st readdens ‘rwoddestp 2106 3933.20 a0, yo Ado pay sara yorya jours ays wonezOH [ur wonezHouu waaKiog UORETIoso ue Sutsyoas! sesay ey uaa oy, SunIOA samp “ond of poutlsp anbyunaay 10 aunsea® atse[9 a soda doy “eon sy nop say ry Rand usurp Jo 240 ou gf aaTOwE ‘38% Sogs Zoe ood sour pur ITEM SUD dOsoy eH “apg jearaeu ye 3 304, 6poq poompoud, e sf uot saab Ur £909 sue ay, ‘soda uo syaen pue Asay Bulag rMoWRn SLE dlosay asheoeq F018, Ae] worsyadxa pus LONSIID yo 6%) UE “aon pae suataystea}da Jo sustmoUr ep Apog a Yo « ey soya ous* at, Speak, and Wite ices avin jie himself sx this mannes, he (Aesop indicated SECA ee should be obliged wo Go the same ting. Evenone ee aback they could noe blew that Aesop ws capable of TRU oh suategy. Agathonus and his companions did noe Imeem prised Thy dank the water in the manner ofthe Pry SEPA pat sete finger down tte chroatsy bus they were eset aap ther doe sofa The water, owes, dh ot a 0 work aa luig forth ce figs which wee sll quite aw and the color of ‘clan. ti yoy, Aesop vouched for himself ls accusers were ‘Eubly punted ior hee peedness and for thei wickedness. “The antibody ofthe confabulator i dialog boy. Aesop sig- als that i is the turn of the thers to repeat che scene that he ‘packed with his own body. They are to repeat his produced body, ee foydhmic factions that ie brought into play. Aer the ori Rtine gesture of deleral comes that of pointing, the finger Painted at Agathopus and his fiends. This pointing is hardly, Rowever, one of accusation, Rathes, it signals the moment it winich several takes place, ie announces a rejoindes, a mét Bale. not question of saying something that rans contrary ee inte someone else has sad, which would be a ind of ant (egeut of doing the same thing they dd omopotsis), and in so doing, producing the opposite result ‘Gore maght go 20 far, however, as to say that the rejoinder requived of Avsthopus i situated inthe pro ue aq posta sp H24TPUP 308 [fe fONe|NANT [a8 Ty 30 worse sdosay uy ay Zaye AouepoumU S909 yp apostdo ayy wt punoy aq 0) 42038 si) Jo [ee OL nmin ate “apnogd gr pon 24 seas somone p36 9 SHON 499 ssp 3 weg, es 9 Fr dnp taney aka 2 ‘somaio ar 49 ag "OApne py Hs ee aD TI jo me Cana osoosoa! ta apeu 2p uses sxe ag Aa 5 puoton ays ea pu ey oo Fup aug we 8 sarap oy so sy Bouncy ope pata ‘pees a ‘Ky unfeum vom dovay top yo Bary ye saps HOMEY rNARE OB 0 POP IHEP se MOLE ov Su Honk Ig, or sane a spy ap pone fy pou sag, yd tad a, "vo og PE a su uo gS po apn He 9 eI 2 ros ag pe sag psusead any uae Spee 9 AE {th pets yo say dose "unos ena ypeoy por yp WHY OS ado ges o atueu ayy UF any pope [reir Jo TA ‘stow da ps ao) sian see aos am sy oo ry ung oy cove pur yp peg asses aye ap xo a, fuons 21 J0 semooup ayy uy pouterao> zauod ayy oszaas poe rtd “Sp on yoam ap oye 0 5 soTHdde sh jo woNuTY aL oH ssinconp jo wipats ayy wyiin smiemndde yo puny IARI sainsuoo Ajfessuad eure pte ean ay 30 A118 24) 3) 22 9 fam Aon prno 3 sofuans apo eae hw I sosoy so 4ows ayy fa ah suis ayp ut ponent st Sede9 soi st, 4d pueauouraeu9 eto Ua se 39 04 ‘a ao) pouaas pa ‘gyn pogo uopestane o Jamod xp emg, 5 np a xn ‘mg, 08 04 tot smnoosTp Sze seCT 9p potiose 9 JE my anes a eiogo Gorn TuoRIOINS 6 uray snopsges 4 geaeeac | 4as eeee A“ Bat Speak. and We pevforms a pointing gesture, although this cime he does so wih | his whole body: he accompanies the travelers onthe right path Hie makes them do what he knows and thus transmis bs knowl ee to them, not by a mediation by sigas, but by simulating a journey in their company, he makes chem o what he does and knows, Th priests of Diana pay to jupiter om Aesop beball ‘Once they leave, Aesop falls aleep. Thus che process of spatial: ization is reterated, but tis thme inthe form ofan opening up of space of oneiric possibilities. Aesop dreams, Yet im hie dream i is not Jupiter, the all powerful Master, the Master of all masters, ‘who undies his tongue, but Fortune. The advent of lenguage, and (ofthe fable that comes with is realized by force of chance and 's a fortuitous event. Language, then, wil be the supplement of ‘gestures and of the body Ie willbe the story that supplements the Aetion of the produced body, even as it stimulates simulation itself. Aesop avakes:“What is this? This sake, that isa plough, Tean pronounce anything T want.” Aesop has become a logotete The word "this is a deietc term that redoubles the gesture of pointing through language. Thus i silently opens onto a feld of nominal definitions il of signs, the domain of the symbolic, {Te makes way for che wil, fr the desire of the founding slave of language. The beast tatks The fables are tol