Mythe des origines et société dans Une Ténébreuse affaire de Balzac

This article examines first the system of relations that exists between the different characters of Balzac's novel Une Ténébreuse affaire (1841). The system is based on the model of the triangle, repeated three times. A close look at these triangular structures shows that they can be reduced to the competition of two candidates for the same position, the position of the universal parasite, which is the position of the king. The analysis of the narration of the character's family origins reveals that the occupation of this supreme position is stable only if there is a mythical system (myth of origins) to support it. The purpose of this mythical system is to ground the supremacy of the master/parasite on a triple difference (language/symbolic, imaginary/biology, social/supremacy). The three levels of this difference act as a safety lock to block any destabilization of the existing structure of power. By destroying this system, the French Revolution created chaos. As the novel ends, the order seems restored. But, the text implies that, since the origin is definitely lost, the breakdown of the symbolic system that guaranteed social order is irreversible. (In French) (FMT)