Rachilde and French Women's Authorship

C. Hawthorne Melanie

Description

Under the assumed name Rachilde, Marguerite Eymery (1860–1953) wrote over sixty works of fiction, drama, poetry, memoir, and criticism, including Monsieur Vénus, one of the most famous examples of decadent fiction. She was closely associated with the literary journal Mercure de France, inspired parts of Oscar Wilde''s The Picture of Dorian Gray, and mingled with all the literary lights of the day. Yet for all that, very little has been written about her. Melanie C. Hawthorne corrects this oversight and counters the traditional approach to Rachilde by persuasively portraying this "eccentric" as patently representative of the French women writers of her time and of the social and literary issues they faced. Seen in this light, Rachilde''s writing clearly illustrates important questions in feminist literary theory as well as significant features of turn-of-the-century French society.

 

Hawthorne arranges her approach to Rachilde around several defining events in the author''s life, including the controversial publication of Monsieur Vénus, with its presentation of sex reversals. Weaving back and forth in time, she is able to depict these moments in relation to Rachilde''s life, work, and times and to illuminate nineteenth-century publishing practices and rivalries, including authorial manipulations of the market for sexually suggestive literature. The most complete and accurate account yet written of this emblematic author, Hawthorne''s work is also the first to situate Rachilde in the broader social contexts and literary currents of her time and of our own.

Sujets

• Córcega
• 20th century
• French
• Corsica
• France

Informations

• Publié par: Nebraska
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2001
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780803200821
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Rachilde and French Women’s Authorship

RACHILDE AND FRENCH WOMEN’S AUTHORSHIP From Decadence to Modernism

Melanie C. Hawthorne

u n i v e r s i t y o f n e b r a s k a p r e s s l i n c o l n a n d l o n d o n

Portions of the chapter “1900, December 10” were previously published as “To the Lighthouse: Fictions of Masculine Identity in Rachilde’s La Tour d’amour,” L’Esprit créateur 32.4 (winter 1992).

The author gratefully acknowledges Mme Edith Silve for permission to quote from those titles by Rachilde that remain protected under copyright law.

© 2001 by the University of Nebraska Press All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America   Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hawthorne, Melanie. Rachilde and French women’s authorship : from decadence to modernism / Melanie C. Hawthorne. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn0-8032-2402-8 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Rachilde, 1860 –1953. 2. Authors, French —19th century — Biography. 3. Authors, French —20th century —Biography. 4. Women and literature —France. I. Title. pq2643.a323z74 2001 843.912 — dc21 [B] 2001027148

For Mum and Dad. Thanks.

CONTENTS List of Illustrations Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations for Works by Rachilde

introduction On Writing Biography: In which the author pays a visit to Périgueux and makes a detour to Galveston

1860, february 11 Women as Outsiders: In which Marguerite Eymery (Rachilde) is born, a werewolf appears, and traps are both set and sprung

1870, october 29 The Ambivalence of the Paternal: In which Captain Eymery is taken prisoner

1875, january or early february The Cultural Injunction to Silence: In which Rachilde is engaged, appears to attempt suicide, and meets a ghost who delivers an important message

1876, march 1 Woman as Medium: In which séances are held, Madame Eymery meets “Rachilde,” and doubles mysteriously appear

1877, june 23 Authority, Authorship, and Authorization: In which Rachilde publishes her first story and Victor Hugo authorizes her

1884, may – july The Politics of Publishing: In whichMonsieur Vénusis published and the French police take an interest in Rachilde

1884, december 12 Writing as Cross-Dressing: In which Rachilde applies for permission to cross-dress and become a writer

ix xi xiii 1

12

29

48

63

78

88

101

viii

1885, a thursday in march Marriage and the Woman Writer: In which Rachilde meets Alfred Vallette and marries him, despite some second thoughts

1887, february 26 (a saturday) The Photograph Never Lies: In which a front page brings attention to Rachilde’s hair

1889, october 25 The Cultural Legitimacy of the Woman Writer: In which Rachilde’s daughter is born and questions are raised about legitimacy

1890, november 10 Imagining the Self: In which Rachilde’s first play is performed and some mirrors are looked into

1894, a tuesday Male Anxiety at the Fin de Siècle: In which Rachilde, cupbearer to the symbolist gods, meets Alfred Jarry

1900, december10 Women and Education: In which Rachilde’s mother is admitted to the asylum of Charenton and some deficiencies in Rachilde’s education become apparent

1925, july2 Women and Surrealism: In which Rachilde gets into a bun fight

1928, june Gender Anxiety in French Modernism: In whichLe Prisonnieris published and Rachilde acts rather queerly

1953, april 4 On Minding: In which Rachilde is reunited with Lison

Notes Bibliography Index

Contents

114

138

151

160

172

185

203

217

228

235 261 287

ILLUSTRATIONS

The Cathedral of Saint-Front in Périgueux Le Cros today The cover of Gisèle d’Estoc’sLa Vierge-Réclame The cover ofLa Vie moderne, February 26, 1887 Portrait of Rachilde by Marguerite van Bever Photograph of Rachilde inscribed to Vallette Photograph of Rachilde “vers 1895”

“Une soirée chez Paul Verlaine” by Verlaine

“Une soirée chez Paul Verlaine” by Cazals

Rachilde’s grave

2 13 115 139 141 141 141 149 149 229