Abstract
In a tense relation with ideologies (submission / opposition to) and reflecting the cultural paradigm of a particular space or time, language has taken different functions at different moments in history. But its utmost relevance should be found in the lives and works of writers. On many occasions, Norman Manea, one of the most acclaimed contemporary authors in exile, has stated his belief that, by continuing to write in his mother tongue, he continues, in a way, to inhabit his motherland. Our presentation will try to explore the idea of native language as a place of exile in relation to the author’s life context.