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From the perspective of the reader-response criticism, this article underlines the ethical and esthetical tension between the duty of memory and the unspeakable in the context of the project « Rwanda : écrire par devoir de mémoire » and specificly in the novel L’aîné des orphelins by Tierno Monénembo. Although the « horizon » of expectations typical to the commitment toward the duty of memory is reinforced by the peritext (Genette, 1987), Monembo’s novel challenges the reader’s expectations by silencing and delaying the personnal story of young narrator-survivor Faustin.This stepback from direct violence allows the novel to focus on structual forms of violence (Galtung 2010) and urges the public to question his responsability in the testimonial reception.