The search for place and identity in Marie NDiaye's En 'famille'

In Marie Ndiaye's Enfamille, the question of what one does in situations that fall outside traditional boundaries is the basis both of the main character's position in the novel, and of the novel's position within literature. Throughout the work, Fanny, in her quest for family, is confronted with situations that constantly leave her caught between two antithetical positions. As the work progresses, she learns not to accept either option as an absolute. Instead, it is from between these elements that Fanny defines her identity and her position, just as the novel questions the labels of "traditional" and "Francophone" literature.