Monique Wittig’s Gnomon: Legacy of a Concept between Life and Death

Abstract: In Monique Wittig’s later work, the concept of the gnomon gains prominence despite little elaboration. Archival evidence shows she continued developing it until her death. This paper traces the gnomon’s dual role: as a critical tool in “Homo Sum” and as a literary analogy in Le chantier littéraire , especially via Sarraute’s novels. While often linked to sundials, Wittig’s gnomon more likely derives from Pythagorean geometry via Aristotle. Offering a genealogy of this conceptual borrowing, this article proposes a tentative definition of Wittig’s gnomon and its potential as a framework connecting her political critique with her literary theory.