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ETD Template, and Matthew THE ECHO OF SOLITUDE IN THE ROMANTIC REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SEA: MULTIVALENCE OF A MOTIF IN ROMANCE LITERATURES. by Djehane A. Hassouna BA, The Catholic University of America, 1967 MA, Vermont College of Norwich University, 1993 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The Department of French and Italian in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2005 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by Djehane A. Hassouna It was defended on October 12, 2005 And approved by Dr. Yves Citton Dr. Gerald Martin Dr. Giuseppina Mecchia Dr. Francesca Savoia Dr Phillip Watts Dr. Giuseppina Mecchia and Dr. Yves Citton Dissertation Co-Directors ii Copyright by Djehane A. Hassouna 2005 iii THE ECHO OF SOLITUDE IN THE ROMANTIC REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SEA: MULTIVALENCE OF A MOTIF IN ROMANCE LITERATURES. Djehane A. Hassouna, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2005 Writers have relentlessly acknowledged the influence of water on their poetic vision. The Romantic “malaise” found its solace in the proximity of a body of water. Offering the same ambiguity as the human character, the influence of the sea can be both beneficial and detrimental. My dissertation discusses the multivalence of a Romantic Sea in French, Italian and Spanish Literatures. Through a thematic as well as a comparative approach, I study numerous transnational examples revolving around the importance of the sea in the lives of a series of protagonists. The vicinity of the sea induces either an implicit or explicit dialogue between the character and the liquid element, triggering a deeper understanding of self, and providing an alleviation of the pressures burdening the psyche of the protagonist. Since the sea can represent death as well as salvation, the first chapter describes its ambiguity in the representations of a series of writings. Holding in its depths the power of Good and Evil, the sea can either save or threaten. The second chapter indicates how the unrestrained freedom of the waves could motivate the characters to liberate themselves from the burden of social constraints while recovering their own identity. The liquid element, assuming the role of a mentor, guides the character on the path of an emotional recovery. The third chapter focuses on the reflective properties of the water, which at times leads to a symbiosis, highlighting the communion between the character and the sea. The fourth chapter shows how the sea appeases iv the nostalgia of exile by filling the void left by the “destierro” from one’s native land, thus bridging the gap of memory. The fifth and last chapter studies the sea as an agent of transcendence, going beyond the limitations of mortality, perception, as well as cognition. The human being and the Sea have a lot in common: depth, ambiguity, and ultimately, irrationality. Just like humans, the sea represents a mysterious realm, whose incommensurable depth triggers endless suppositions. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE....................................................................................................................................viii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 1. CHAPTER ONE: FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE. ............................................................. 22 1.1. The Sea as a Cradle....................................................................................................... 23 1.1.1. Moses: Cradled by the Sea.................................................................................... 25 1.1.2. Inspired by Moses: The story of Hayy Ibn Yakzan. ............................................. 31 1.1.3. Venus, Born of Seafoam....................................................................................... 38 1.1.4. The Last Song of the Swan ................................................................................... 45 1.1.5. From Mer/Sea to Mère/Mother and the Other Way Around ................................ 60 1.2. The Sea as a Grave........................................................................................................ 69 1.2.1. “La mer mauvaise”: A Nightmare for Mothers .................................................... 69 1.2.2. L’Homme qui rit: The Abyss................................................................................ 75 1.2.3. A Passion Ending in the Sea ................................................................................. 78 1.2.4. Justice through the Sea.......................................................................................... 80 1.2.5. The Verdict: Death by Drowning ......................................................................... 80 1.2.6. Drowned by His Own Father ................................................................................ 82 1.2.7. The Welcoming Abyss.......................................................................................... 85 2. CHAPTER TWO: IDENTITY AND LIBERATION.......................................................... 92 2.1. Identity .......................................................................................................................... 94 2.1.1. A Masked Identity: Angel Or Devil?.................................................................... 94 2.1.2. Identity Crisis: A Wooden Puppet Or A Real Live Boy?..................................... 98 2.1.3. An Issue of Identity: The Theme Of Paternity.................................................... 104 2.1.4. Drowning An Unwanted Identity........................................................................ 116 2.1.5. Wavering Towards a Mature Identity................................................................. 119 2.2. Liberation.................................................................................................................... 133 2.2.1. Liberating a Repressed Identity .......................................................................... 133 2.2.2. Sharing The Freedom of The Waves .................................................................. 141 2.2.3. Ultimate Liberation Through the Sea ................................................................. 145 2.2.4. A Song of Liberation at Sea................................................................................ 157 3. CHAPTER THREE: REFLECTION AND SYMBIOSIS.................................................. 161 3.1. Reflection.................................................................................................................... 162 3.1.1. Reflection of Sound ............................................................................................ 164 3.1.2. Reflection of Self / Image................................................................................... 168 3.1.3. Reflection of the Intellect or Regard Intérieur.................................................... 173 3.1.4. Reflection as an Extension of Memory............................................................... 176 3.1.5. Distorted Reflection From The Abyss to The Eye of the Beholder.................... 183 3.1.6. The Reflecting Eye ............................................................................................. 186 3.1.7. Reflection captured through Art. ........................................................................ 188 3.2. Correspondance........................................................................................................... 193 3.2.1. Either a Charismatic or a Repellent Sea ............................................................. 193 3.2.2. Personification of the Sea ................................................................................... 198 3.2.3. Like Sea, like Passengers.................................................................................... 200 vi 3.2.4. Marine Terminology. .......................................................................................... 202 3.3. Symbiosis.................................................................................................................... 205 3.3.1. The Stranger in Town ......................................................................................... 205 3.3.2. Shaped by the Ocean........................................................................................... 211 3.3.3. The Taste of the Sea............................................................................................ 218 4. CHAPTER FOUR: A SEA OF EXILE. ............................................................................. 227 4.1. Exile Without, Exile Within ....................................................................................... 229 4.2. Kidnapping by Sea...................................................................................................... 234 4.3. Exiled on Either Shore................................................................................................ 238 4.4. Prisoners of the Sea..................................................................................................... 248 4.5. Bouncing from one Ship to the Next .......................................................................... 254 4.6. Exiled from a Glorious Past........................................................................................ 262 4.7. A Frenchman in Exile ................................................................................................. 266 4.8. Personal
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