<p> Women these days play many different roles. One could say that it is the sign of the time but despite the advances that our foremothers had made, the women of this decade are working harder than ever. In this collection of stories, the protagonist is one of these modern women, and she goes through many stages of her life. In her quest for a peaceful place in an often violent, unpredictable, and sadistic world, she faces many challenges; and she finds that love, sex, betrayal, fear, and desire are inevitably the basis for any friendship, whether platonic or romantic. Two of the stories, "The Neighbor-woman on the Balcony" and "The Love of Men and Women" are part of a cycle. The rest of the collection, are stand-alone pieces, but they are intrinsically connected by mature, ordinary love.</p>

Almost every attempt to distinguish literature from history begins in empiricism and ends in ethics. Much depends upon this long-standing distinction and much may potentially be lost if it is compromised or collapses. But as a discipline, historiography today must confront the problem that, as in all polarities and oppositions, historical and fictional discourses adhere to one another in a symbiotic manner that makes the existence and meaning of one impossible without the other. In order to legitimate its claims to truthfulness, history has had to repress a fundamental truth about itself: any attempt to represent the past is actually a literary re-creation that is as much the result of the projection or transference of desire as of objective description and analysis. At stake in the history/fiction contrast is not just a pedagogical separation of truth from falsehood, but rather the more fundamental question of social relationships and the ability of human beings to transcend the so-called state of nature. Although Nietzsche noted with approval that the animal lives unhistorically, just such a prospect often underlies those arguments seeking to protect history from fiction. Modern conceptions of the differences between nature and human society, and of history and fiction as well, can be traced back to the Enlightenment and its attempt to universalize the idea of reason as the standard by which to measure historical progression. But the Enlightenment's success at this project proved to be (in the eyes of many) its great failure. From the eighteenth century through to the modernist movement and beyond to postmodernism, we can trace a series of dissensions, not against the idea reason and history per se, but against an idea that promises emancipation through a process of domination, constraint and control of both the natural world and human nature. Within such a process, the "historical" continually places itself in opposition to the "natural," with historical narrative acting as the main line of defense against the expression of individual desire which fiction makes possible.

<p> In the history of printing, the Romantic period (1780&ndash;1830) is not an especially important milestone. Until the introduction of steam in the 1840s, the basic process of printing had remained relatively unchanged since its invention in the fifteenth century. However, it is during the Romantic period that the process of printing <i>begins</i> to evolve from an artisanal handicraft into a full-scale industrial process. Although this technological transition was slow and subtle, public discourse during the Romantic period reveals a surprisingly nuanced awareness of what it means to communicate in a system dominated by print. Among those theorizing the new culture of print, satirists and periodical editors are particularly invested in commenting on print culture, as doing so helps create an audience for their work. Although their materials are ephemeral (e.g., pamphlets and periodicals) and designed to sell, their printed productions also attempted to solve some of the cultural problems associated with the rise of print. In particular, paratextual elements (such as fantastical illustrations of printing presses and editorial introductions) convey important messages about the implicit and explicit contexts for the texts they accompany. The editorial introductions to brand new periodicals, which constitute the bulk of my analysis, are particularly rich veins of discourse since&mdash;by the nature of the genre&mdash;the editorial introduction argues for the text's relevance to its audience, a new nation of readers unused to the strange conditions of information overload. Furthermore, the editorial introduction ambitiously envisions the purpose of the new periodical not only in relation to the known problems and established protocols of print culture, but also to the imagined conditions of posterity. In order to relate such messages, the editorial narratives and satirical illustrations I study use powerful metaphors to convey the ascendency of the press in the public imagination. Within the metaphors established in these paratextual elements, particular visions of the Romantic printed present, the literary past, and the future of textual culture become possible. These visions, I argue, while not cohesive, nevertheless reveal something about the ways in which Romantic print culture invented itself as an exceptional period.</p>

D. H. Lawrence's short stories have suffered critically in part because no complete examination of them has been achieved. This thesis divides Lawrence's stories into six separate chronological categories and then approaches each group thematically, utilizing a variety of critical tools to explore the stories. The first two groups are weakest, as might be expected, since they precede Lawrence's commitment to writing, his mother's death, and his alliance with Frieda Weekley. After that time period, the remaining four groups of stories are shown more clearly to deal with essential Lawrentian themes that appear in all his works, including fiction, essays, poems and travel books. For Lawrence more than many other writers, death and regeneration is a part of the process forming a viable identity for self, with which one may then attempt viable relationships--interrelatednesses--with others and the cosmos. The stories offer a good proving ground for this thesis, and demonstrate many ways in which characters both succeed and fail in achieving identity. In summary, it must no longer be overlooked that all of Lawrence's short stories are part of the whole fabric from which the Lawrentian cloth is woven; the stories, even in isolation, reflect the changing nature of Lawrence's polemics over the years, as well as changes in the construction elements of his craft. Examined with a view to his other works, the short stories further amplify Lawrence's historical and philosophical place in the twentieth century context.

If Sylvie Germain's works are well known to literary critics, the theme of wandering, which holds an important place in her writings, remains relatively unexplored. This thesis studies the theme of wandering by presenting it firstly within the body of the writer's oeuvre, and then, by examining more thoroughly its relation to the female character in the novel, Magnus. This analysis proposes three models of wandering women: the alienated woman, the adventurer and the criminal. / Si l'oeuvre de Sylvie Germain est bien connue des critiques littéraires, la thématique de l'errance, qui occupe une place principale dans son écriture, demeure relativement inexplorée. Le présent mémoire étudie l'errance en présentant le thème dans l'oeuvre de l'écrivaine et, ensuite, en examinant, plus particulièrement, son rapport avec le personnage féminin dans le roman Magnus. Cette analyse propose trois modèles de femmes errantes : la femme aliénée, l'aventurière et la criminelle.

In her three major works, Ryder (1928), The Antiphon (1958), and Nightwood (1936), Djuna Barnes explores incest as a mode of being and relating. She focuses on the relationships among the Ryders of Ryder, the Hobbses of The Antiphon, and between Nora Flood and Robin Vote of Nightwood as her three primary instantiations of the incestuous family apparatus. Taken together, Barnes's works present a scale of viability for the incestuous relationship. Through engagement with Barnes's work and her implicit theory of incest, this project seeks to investigate and challenge normative categories of viable relationships that currently do not (nor did they in Barnes's time) include incestuous relationships. Barnes's work suggests that it is the individual instantiations of the incestuous family apparatus that make incest a viable mode of being and relating, just as it is the individual instantiations of the non-incestuous family apparatus that allow the normative definition of the family to thrive. Barnes presents familial relationships as not taboo, and suggests that incest is not necessarily concomitant with trauma, fantasy, or abuse. Through analysis of Barnes's work, this thesis sheds new light on a central dimension of Barnes's work. In addition, through Barnes's conceptions and presentations of incest, the project seeks to open up new understandings of incestuous relationships and their implications, as well as, more generally, consider ways to expand the range of ways-of-life - what I call livelihoods - accepted as valid and valuable (viable) by North American and European culture. / Dans ses trois principaux ouvrages, Ryder (1928), The Antiphon (1958), and Nightwood (1936), Djuna Barnes étudie l'inceste, sous tous ses aspects, en tant que façon d'être et comme moyen relationnel. Elle se concentre sur ces relations à travers les Ryders dans Ryder, les Hobbses dans l'Antiphon ainsi qu'entre Nora Flood et Robin Vote dans Nightwood, comme ses trois principaux cas de l'appareil familial incestueux. L'oeuvre de Barnes mis bout à bout représente l'échelle de viabilité de la relation incestueuse. À travers l'engagement de Barnes dans son travail et sa théorie implicite de l'inceste, ce projet vise à questionner et défier les catégories normatives de rapports viables excluant, de nos jours et du temps de Barnes, la présence de rapports incestueux. L'oeuvre de Barnes propose que dans chaque cas, chaque individu de l'appareil familial incestueux fait de l'inceste une façon d'être viable et un moyen relationnel, de même que dans chaque cas, chaque individu d'un appareil familial non incestueux permet la définition normative de la famille épanouit. Barnes aborde la relation familiale comme sans tabou, et suggère que l'inceste ne coïncide pas nécessairement à traumatisme, fantasme, ou abus. Par l'analyse de son oeuvre, cette thèse éclaire une nouvelle avenue à la dimension centrale de son travail. De plus, dans les conceptions et les présentations de l'inceste de Barnes, ce projet tend à ouvrir de nouveaux horizons des relations incestueuses ainsi que leurs implications, autant que, de façon général, élargir la gamme de modes de vie, que j'appelle moyens de subsistance, acceptée comme valide et valable, dans le sens de viable dans la culture Nord-américaine et européenne.

This thesis analyses the position of the woman writer in « La Comédie humaine » through a sociocritical and historical perspective. The hypothesis is that Balzac reappropriates stereotypes typically conferred upon female writer (the learned lady, the bluestocking), casting some in a positive light. The first part of the thesis deals with the « figurations » (GREMLIN) of these women – emphasizing their masculine characteristics (their physical appearance, their morals and their behavior) – and with a presentation of their work. The second part focuses on their relationships and on the « configuration » (Elias) in which they take part. Within the cultural couple, women writers have considerable influence over their masculine colleagues. Within high society, they are able to establish an ideal and influential salon. Despite his constant irony towards these women, Balzac transforms one of them, Camille Maupin, into a model of the genius writer. / Dans une perspective sociocritique et historique, ce mémoire analyse le personnage de la « femme auteur » dans « La Comédie humaine ». L'hypothèse générale est que Balzac remet en circulation des stéréotypes sur les femmes de lettres (la femme savante, le bas-bleu) que, dans certains cas, il revalorise de manière étonnante. La première partie s'attache aux « figurations » (GREMLIN) de ces femmes, qui font la part belle au motif du travestissement, et à la présentation de leurs œuvres. La seconde partie se penche sur leurs relations avec leur entourage et les « configurations » (Elias) auxquelles elles prennent part. Au sein du couple culturel, elles prennent beaucoup d'ascendant sur leurs collègues masculins. Dans le monde, elles arrivent parfois à se constituer un salon modèle et influent. Malgré une ironie presque constante à leur égard, Balzac fait paradoxalement de l'une d'elles, Camille Maupin, le type accompli de l'écrivain de génie.

While the history of the Inquisition and that of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain during the fifteenth century has been portrayed in several different literary and cultural spheres, rarely has it been depicted in contemporary French fiction. Le chemin de l'exil, written by Dider Nebot, is one of the first French historical novels to address Sephardic history. By examining the themes of conversion, convivencia and the commitment to Judaism, it is hypothesized that Le chemin de l'exil can be read as an allegory of the diversity and co-existence of Muslims, Jews and Christians living in France at the end of the twentieth century. While analysing the literary use of the figure of the marrano and convivencia, one recognizes a contemporary Jewish identity that refuses to be discreet. The figure of the marrano and convivencia represented in Le chemin de l'exil serve as metaphors for the Sephardic Diaspora. / Alors que l'histoire de l'Inquisition et de l'expulsion des Juifs d'Espagne au quinzième siècle a été évoquée dans plusieurs sphères littéraires, rarement a-t-elle été peinte au sein du roman contemporain français. Le chemin de l'exil, composé par Didier Nebot, est l'un des premiers romans historiques français portant sur l'histoire sépharade. En examinant les thèmes de la fidélité au Judaïsme, de la conversion et de la convivencia, nous postulons que Le chemin de l'exil se lit comme une allégorie de la diversité et de la coexistence des Musulmans, Juifs et Chrétiens vivant en France à la fin du vingtième siècle. En analysant les fonctions littéraires de la figure du marrano et celle de la convivencia, nous apprécions le conflit identitaire du marrane et une identité juive française qui refuse d'être discrète. La figure du marrane et la convivencia représentées dans Le chemin de l'exil constituent des métaphores de la diaspora sépharade.

Based on a comparative analysis of two of the greatest novels of 19th century France, this thesis seeks to closely examine the dialogical relations that were established between culture and politics in the transitional political regimes through which France passed from the monarchy to the republic. / Concretely, this thesis is divided into four sections. The first is historical and provides an historical panorama ranging from the 1789 Revolution to the establishment of the Third Republic in the last third of the 19th century. Through a highlighting of the advent of public space, this section pays particular attention to the conditions that enabled France to pass from a monarchic regime to increasingly democratic regimes. The second section is theoretical. Firstly, a both more historiographical and political analysis of the Restoration and July Monarchy will be undertaken with the aim of bringing to light the conditions whereby France progressively converted to the republican ideology and practice. Secondly, by drawing on discourse theorists, it will be demonstrated that public space is essentially driven by discourse. The third and fourth sections are dedicated to more classical literary analyses. The third section focuses on The Mysteries of Paris by Eugène Sue, serially published in 1842, and which was one of the greatest literary successes of the century. In this analysis attention will be given to the dialogue that emerged between the author and the readership during the serial's publication. It is through this dialogue that the initial adventure novel was transformed into a popular novel. This generic modification provided The Mysteries Paris with an unprecedented political efficacy. The last chapter of this section includes an analysis of the manner in which Eugène Sue very skillfully allied a classical novelistic narrative that recounts the characters' episodes with explicitly political commentaries based on the misadventures of his characters, who he makes examples of. The fourth section is dedicated to Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, published twenty years later. This analysis shows how Victor Hugo appropriated and modified Sue's novel in order to give it a republican aim. It is made clear that Hugo worked jointly on two aspects of Sue's work, i.e. / S'appuyant sur une analyse comparative de deux des plus grands romans du XIXe siècle français, cette thèse tente de s'approcher au plus près des relations dialogiques qui s'établissent entre la culture et la politique dans les régimes politiques transitoires par lesquels la France est passée de la monarchie à la république. fr / Concrètement, cette thèse se divise en quatre parties. La première est historique et offre un panorama historique qui va de la Révolution de 1789 à l'établissement de la IIIe République dans le dernier tiers du XIXe siècle. Dans cette partie, une attention particulière est portée aux conditions qui ont permis à la France de passer d'un régime monarchique à des régimes plus démocratiques, en mettant en évidence l'avènement de l'espace public. La seconde partie est théorique. Dans un premier temps, une analyse à la fois plus historiographique et plus politique est faite de la Restauration et de la monarchie de Juillet, dans le but de mettre au jour les conditions par lesquelles la France s'est peu à peu convertie à l'idéologie et à la pratique républicaines. Dans un deuxième temps, en s'appuyant sur des théoriciens des discours, il est démontré que la culture occupe une place essentielle dans l'espace public. Les troisième et quatrième parties sont consacrées à des analyses littéraires plus classiques. La troisième partie porte sur Les Mystères de Paris d'Eugène Sue, publiés en feuilleton en 1842, et qui furent l'un des plus grands succès littéraires du siècle. Dans cette analyse l'attention est portée sur le dialogue qui s'est mis en place entre l'auteur et les lecteurs, durant la publication du feuilleton. C'est par ce dialogue que le roman d'aventure d'abord offert aux lecteurs, s'est transformé en roman social. Cette modification générique procura aux Mystères de Paris une efficacité politique jusque-là inédite. Le dernier chapitre de cette partie contient une analyse de la manière dont Eugène Sue allie, avec beaucoup d'habileté, un récit romanesque classique, qui raconte les péripéties de ses personnages et des commentaires explicitement politiques qui s'appuient sur les mésaventures de ses personnages dont il fait des exemples. La quatrième partie est consacrée aux Misérables de Victor Hugo, publiés v

The topic of this thesis is a reading of Gustave Flaubert's Bouvard et Pécuchet (1881), through the lenses of the "comic that does not make laugh". The starting point of this thesis is a question: how is it that the comic in Bouvard et Pécuchet, explicitly claimed by the novelist from the very first steps of the project, has confused many critics, as if it were not adequate to the novel? We'll see how this hesitation – is Bouvard and Pécuchet funny or not ? – is inscribed in the novel, which unfolds a space, Chavignolles, ambiguous and indocile, within which any form of the comic is put into perspective, which creates an oscillation between the probable and the improbable, the real and the unreal. Finally, our demonstration will focus on showing how this hesitation is reinforced by a complex relation of distance and proximity, that at once makes the novel a comic one and prevents the characters from seeing the world as utterly comic. We will see that confronted with the impossibility of maintaining the space aside to isolate what is meant to be funny from what is real, the comic is not exactly evacuated from the novel sphere, but stays out of sight. / Ce mémoire a pour objet une lecture de Bouvard et Pécuchet (1881) de Gustave Flaubert à travers le prisme du « comique qui ne fait pas rire ». Le point de départ de ce mémoire est une question : comment expliquer que le comique de Bouvard et Pécuchet, explicitement revendiqué par le romancier dès les premiers balbutiements du projet, ait embarrassé bon nombre de critiques, comme s'il était inadéquat au roman ? Nous verrons comment cette hésitation — Bouvard et Pécuchet est-il comique ou non ? — est inscrite dans le roman, qui déploie un espace, Chavignolles, ambigu et indocile au contact duquel toute forme de comique se relativise, ce qui fait osciller le vraisemblable vers l'invraisemblable, le réel vers l'irréel. Il s'agira aussi de montrer comment l'hésitation est renforcée par un brouillage des rapports de proximité et de distance entre les personnages et le réel, brouillage qui contribue à la dimension comique de l'œuvre, mais empêche en même temps les personnages de percevoir le monde comme comédie. Nous verrons que devant l'impossibilité de tenir la scène à distance afin d'isoler ce qui relève de la blague de la réalité, le comique est non pas évacué de la sphère du roman, mais plus exactement perdu de vue.