This thesis studies the theme of laughter in the works of Victor Hugo, distinguishing two topical networks: that of perverse gaiety and that of forced laughter. Part One (La Gaiete perverse) shows how Hugo, drawing various commonplaces related to cruel laughter in the gothic novel, creates a first family of characters whose laugh derives from their demented nature (the monster, the headsman, the priest, the outlaw, the mob, the court jester). Part Two (La Tristesse des justes) concerns the Hugo which, between 1845 and 1862, fashions a mythology of the People renewing with commonplaces related to perverse gaiety, which he now links to characters seen as pillars of the Second Empire (the tyrant, the soldier, the police officer). While the wicked laugh, the just man cries, and the laughter of the oppressed (the convict, the prostitute, the street urchin) is constrained. Part Three (Le Rire de force) considers three works dating from Hugo's exile, including L'Homme qui rit, where the author clearly defines what constitutes forced laughter: a victim's exultation caused by the perversity of his social torturer, the tyrant. This transition from perverse gaiety (which stems from individual perversion) to forced laughter (the result of society's perversion) will be interpreted as the reflexion of a shift in the identity of Hugo's implied reader. While the first Hugo wrote about the people, the later Hugo aspires to write for the people, which considerably affects the meaning conferred to various commonplaces used throughout his writing career.

Leon Francis Victor Caron (1850-1905) was one of the major figures in Australian nineteenth-century opera and orchestral circles. He was a well-known and well-liked public figure, regarded with respect and affection by musicians and audiences alike. Little has been written concerning Caron’s career. Given the amount he contributed to the Australian stage, an assessment of his importance within the music profession is warranted. Most areas of Caron’s life are, as yet, totally unexplored; it falls outside the ambit of this thesis to present every detail pertaining to his varied and extensive musical career. Nevertheless, new information about a selection of Caron’s ventures is drawn upon here for the first time. Much of this material is used to examine the impact of Caron’s conducting on the orchestral profession in Melbourne and Sydney. Many of Caron’s performances (orchestral or otherwise) often featured the popular music of the day. The popular aspect of Caron as a composer is also considered, with particular reference to the incredibly successful pantomime Djin Djin. An examination of Caron’s performances gives great insight not only into the part he played in the wider profession; but it also sheds light on orchestral standards, performance practices and public tastes of the time. His contribution to the music profession in nineteenth-century Australia is extremely significant.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1984. / Bibliography: leaves 42-45.

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-87).

Zugl. überarb. Fassung von: Berlin, Freie Univ., Diss, 2005

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Bryn Mawr College, 1946. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 203. Bibliographical footnotes).

Thèse--Université de Paris.

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-87).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Berne. / "Bibliographie": p. [199]-207.

Inaugural-dissertation (Ph. D.)--Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Berlin, 1915. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [5]-6).