Reactions to Anarchism in the Worlcs of Maurice Barres and Georges Darien, 1885-1914
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Durham E-Theses Reactions to anarchism in the works of Maurice Barres and Georges Darien,1885-1914. Brewster, Elizabeth How to cite: Brewster, Elizabeth (2006) Reactions to anarchism in the works of Maurice Barres and Georges Darien,1885-1914., Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2779/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Reactions to Anarchism in the Worlcs of Maurice Barres and Georges Darien, 1885-1914. Elizabeth Brewster The copyright of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which It was submitted. No quotation from It, or Information derived from H may be published without the prior written consent of the author or university, and any information derived from It should be acknowledged. 1 1 DEC J Submitted as a thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of French University of Durham September 2006 Reactions to Anarchism in the works of Maurice Barres and Georges Darien, 1885-1914 Elizabeth Brewster Ph.D. Thesis Submitted to the University of Durham, September 2006. This thesis looks at the fiction of two very different authors, Maurice Barres (1862-1923) and Georges Darien (1862-1921). Despite their posthumous reputations (Barres the proto-fascist, Darien the anarchist individualist), the ideological and literary development of both these writers have their roots in their reactions to anarchism, hi this thesis, I examine the effect these reactions to anarchism had on their status in the champ litteraire, their politics and the construction of their texts. In the opening chapter, I address the overarching issues of the nature of anarchism, political engagement and the champ litteraire of fin-de-siecle Paris. I refer to secondary sources such as Pierre Bourdieu, Susan Rubin Suleiman and Richard Sonn to inform my inquiry. I also establish the historical framework of this period, including Boulangism, the Dreyfus Affair, nationalism and anarchism. The second chapter examines the lives and careers of Maurice Barres and Georges Darien in the context of the champ litteraire. The following chapters all examine issues which both Barres and Darien privileged in their fiction. The writers' treatment of the self, education, crime and corruption and national identity are discussed through a detailed comparison of two texts in each chapter. This discussion takes place within the context of both authors' engagement with and reactions to anarchism. Throughout this thesis, my method is a close and comparative reading of selected passages taken from significant novels and didactic works. Contents Acknowledgements IV Abbreviations VI 1 Anarchism and the Written Word: Barres and Darien as committed writers 1 'Poems, dreams and bombs': Reacting to anarchism Political engagement The fin de siecle period and the theories of le champ litteraire 2 Politics and Purpose: Barres and Darien in le champ litteraire 43 Politicising their family backgrounds Changes in the literary field The role of the writer and le champ litteraire Publishers, politics and the changing champ litteraire The consequences of status in le champ litteraire Reaction to the works of Barres and Darien Posthumous status 3 Anarchism and Autobiography: L 'Ennemi des his and Biribi 95 Autobiography and political activity Prefaces and politics The voice of the narrator Pathos and humour Liberation and resolution 4 Education and Isolation: Les Deracines and Bas les cceurs! 130 The voice of the young Family and home Teachers Mentors 5 Politics and Authority: Leurs figures and Le Voleur 181 Representing the real Fictionalising politics Crime and ideology Authenticating the text Politics and authority 6 National Identity and the Individual: Colette Baudoche and L 'Epaulette 220 Nationalism, Propaganda and Fiction Race and narrative Mythologizing national identity Antimilitarism and foreign characters Undermining the symbols of national identity Conclusion 257 Bibliography 267 Declaration This work has been submitted to the University of Durham in accordance with the regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. It is the author's own work, and none of it has been previously submitted to the University of Durham or any other university for a degree. ^Ckrii^. (Elizabeth Brewster) ...I'^!9.<PM (Date) ni © Elizabeth Brewster, 2006 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without her prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. IV Acknowledgements There are many people I would like to thank for their support and encouragement throughout the time I worked on this thesis. I begin with my supervisor. Dr. Christopher Lloyd. He has continually pushed me to be more precise and more persuasive in my writing. I would like to thank him particularly for his help during this last year. I have really appreciated his guidance, his incisive criticisms and stimulating observations. I am also extremely grateful to the University of Durham for their sponsorship of this project. I also thank the staff at the Bodleian Library and Taylorian Institute, Oxford, for always being so helpful and friendly to a wandering Durham postgraduate. I would like to thank a few friends for their interest in this thesis and, above all, their help and friendship over the past four years. Dr. Alison Carter has been a great encouragement. She has been an excellent office comrade, fellow tutor and partner in crime and 1 look forward to continuing our friendship outside of Durham. To my former housemate, Rachel Ellis, I am grateful for her humour, her persistence in phoning me and, above all, her enduring friendship. It's not easy to be interested in someone else's Ph.D. and she has done it well. Thanks must also go to Rob and Jill Homer, who have let me stay in their house, advised me on many matters and also proofread this thesis. I thank them for their support and for not looking too bored while they did it. My family has been a continual source of encouragement and relaxation during my studies and I thank God for them. I thank my mother for always being on the end of the phone during all my trials and tribulations as well as bailing me out of sticky financial situations. I also thank my brother and sister for having amazing families who have allowed me to relax and spend time away from the concerns of my thesis. Special thanks must go to my husband, Dr. Richard Brewster. He has been a faithful friend throughout this piece of research. I have been so thankful for his laughter, his help and, most of all, his love. He has been a constant source of support, never complaining while doing more than his fair share of washing- up and proofreading. He has never failed to demonstrate patience, encouragement and good humour, particularly in the last year, and so I dedicate this thesis to him. Soli Deo gloria. VI Abbreviations The place of publication is Paris throughout this thesis unless other wise stated. The following abbreviations are used in this thesis: Georges Darien Voleurs Voleurs! (Omnibus, 1994). Maurice Barres (Euvre limilVN L'CEuvre des Maurice Barres, ed. Philippe Barres, vols 1, 3, 4 & 5 (Club de I'honnete homme, 1965-1968). Cahiers Mes Cahiers, 1896-1923, ed. G. Dupre (Plon, 1963). Ennemi L 'Ennemi des lois (Plon, 1927). Colette Colette Baudoche (Plon, 1923). Chapter One Anarchism and the Written Word: Maurice Barres and Georges Darien as committed writers 'Mais sur tout je r^p^te que men role, dans cette suite de petits livres, n'est pas de prouver ou de convaincre, mais de d^crire la sensibility des personnes de ce temps qui ont la vie int^rieure la plus intense et la plus orn^e. Voil^ ma t&che et men plaisir! (Ce sent deux mots qui je confondrai toujours.)' Maurice Barres, preface to L'Ennemi des lots, p.vi. 'Men livre n'est pas 1^. II est tout entier dans I'^tude de rhomme, il n'est point dans I'^tude des milieux. Je constate les effets ; je ne recherche pas les causes. Biribi n'est pas un reman k th^se, c'est I'^tude sincere d'un morceau de vie, d'un lambeau saignant d'existence.' Georges Darien, preface to Biribi, p.x. This thesis sets out to examine the fictional works of Georges Darien (1862- 1921) and Maurice Barres (1862-1923) as reactions to the anarchist movement of the late nineteenth century. The evolution of each writer's ideological discourse wrought profound changes in their approaches to the construction of narrative, in particular the choice of narrator, and these developments in their literary approach began with their reactions to anarchism. While Darien was involved in anarchist activity for a large part of his literary career, Barres is better known for his proto-fascist views. However, this thesis is an attempt to reassess the work of both of these authors in order to find the common influences of anarchist thought which had such differing effects on their ideological and artistic development.