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While the expression of shame in The Shame could be considered as an act seeking to redeem the treason committed by Annie Ernaux towards her father, a precise analysis of this feeling reveals Ernaux’s developing thought. In order to defy popular opinion, we have decided to find the reasons why Annie Ernaux decides to confess the humiliating episodes of her life. For this, we start by studying the genesis of the feeling of the shame in the character of Annie Ernaux through the violent behavior of her father. This analysis leads us to discover other shameful scenes. Then, we analyse how Ernaux grants a public angle to her personal story. The understanding of this reality will let us to draw out a concept of shame which leads ultimately to a form of solidarity. The author reveals how the expression of shame could be therapeutic as well as politic.