French literature, 19th century, monster, symbolism, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, romanticism, naturalism, social concerns, psychological transgression
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Abstract
This document explores the representation of monsters in 19th century French literature, analyzing their forms, functions, and symbolism in works by Victor Hugo and Emile Zola.
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[...] Problematic issue : Through the example of Notre-Dame of Paris and Thérèse Raquin, How does the figure of the monster translate the social, religious, or political concerns of French society in the 19th century? It is first important to present the different forms of monsters existing in French literature of the 19th century, in order to then focus on the analysis of its narrative, symbolic, and introspective functions. This finally allows us to study the relationship between monstrosity and the ordinariness of being in literature. Plan : I. The different forms of monsters in French literature of the 19th century A. [...]
[...] The monster as catalyst for the plot: creator of suspense, dramatic tension, conflicts 1. The Monster and the Imaginary of the 19th Century 2. Urban Legends and Stories 3. Rural Legends and Stories B. The Monster as a Symbol: Metaphor of Evil, Difference, and the Stranger 1. The Monster, Representation of Human Complexity 2. The Monster as an 'Extra-Ordinary' Being 3. The Monster as Anti-Human C. The Monster as a Mirror of the Anxieties and Contradictions of the Society of the Time 1. [...]
[...] The Figure of the Monster in the Face of the Mentalities of the Time 2. The Monster as Incarnation of Excess and Immodesty 3. The Denunciation of the Flaws and Social Aberrations of the Time III. Monstrosity and Ordinariness of Human Being in Literature A. The "Idealized" Monstrosity in Romanticism 1. The Monster, Incarnation of Good Against Evil 2. The Monster or Man Facing Fate 3. The Monster-Hero B. Naturalism and the Ordinary Monster 1. The Banality of the Monster 2. Monstrosity Through Beings, Characters, and Places 3. [...]
[...] Physical monsters: bodily deformities, deformities, mutations 1. The physical characteristics of the monster 2. The dimension of the body and physical suffering 3. Human monsters or monstrous humans B. Psychological monsters: deviant characters, psychopaths, the insane 1. Monsters and drives 2. Monsters and animality 3. Monsters and humanity C. Social Monsters: Marginals, Excluded, Criminals 1. The Monster and the Social Order of the 19th Century 2. The Monster and Justice 3. [...]
[...] The term of monster thus wears multiple diverse and varied senses. The figure of the monster in French literature of the 19th century takes a considerable leap due to its omnipresence in the works. In fact, the monster is used in a polysynthetic way, exploiting all the richness offered by the vocabulary; the term of monster no longer refers only to the physical dimension, which is a restricted definition, monstrousness thus designates also a moral, social, psychological transgression. The figure of the monster is no longer linked to the person itself but unfolds through its actions. [...]
