Les Paradoxes de la crítica textual en relació amb l'escriptura automàtica: el cas de Les Champs magnétiques a la "Bibliothèque de la pleiade"

Abstract

On the basis of an analysis of Les Champs magnétiques by Breton and Soupault, as published by the «Bibliothèque de la Pléiade», this study will examine the difficulties involved in editing texts that have been written using the automatic writing technique. Although, in its attempt to encompass maximum literality and the genuine meaning of the text, a critical edition may contradict the very nature of the automatic technique, the corrections that are often found in the manuscripts written by the Surrealists themselves and the variations that appear from one edition to the next also indicate that a simple transcription of the manuscripts may not be ideal either. Therefore, this analysis will use arguments from genetic criticism in order to understand Breton and Soupaults writing process, and will be a reflection on language production and on the (in our opinion) dubious spontaneity of the automatic writing process in the light of certain psycholinguistic premises.