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Literary Expressions of Creole Identity in Alfred Mercier's L'habitation

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Literary Expressions of Creole Identity in Alfred Mercier's L'habitation Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2012 Literary expressions of Creole identity in Alfred Mercier's L'Habitation Saint-Ybars and Johnelle Mary Florence Cashell Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the French and Francophone Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Cashell, Mary Florence, "Literary expressions of Creole identity in Alfred Mercier's L'Habitation Saint-Ybars and Johnelle" (2012). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1320. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1320 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. LITERARY EXPRESSIONS OF CREOLE IDENTITY IN ALFRED MERCIER’S L’HABITATION SAINT-YBARS AND JOHNELLE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In The Department of French Studies by Mary F. Cashell A.B., The College of William and Mary, 2006 M.A., Louisiana State University, 2008 May 2012 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Completing this dissertation would not have been possible were it not for the incredible people who helped, inspired, and motivated me at every step. I would especially like to acknowledge my chair, Dr. Jack Yeager, who has mentored me with kindness and patience from my first year as a graduate student. His guidance throughout this journey has helped me to grow as a scholar and develop my voice as a writer. Thank you so much, for everything. I would also like to acknowledge my committee members, Drs. Katharine Jensen, Rosemary Peters, and Pius Ngandu, for their support. Their interest in my work, advice, and ability to challenge me have been invaluable to my progress. I must also recognize my friend and colleague, Dr. Julia Reineman, for her unrelenting encouragement and optimism. She has helped me over many hurdles of all kinds and supported me through the highs and the lows of the writing process. A big “thank you” also goes out to my parents and the rest of my family, especially my sister, Maggie, for her camaraderie and Brian G. for his “tough love” and understanding. Merci à toutes et à tous ! ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...............................................................................................................ii ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................v INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1. HYBRID IDENTITIES: LOCATING THE SELF IN LOUISIANA.....................10 1.1 Assigning Social Identities...........................................................................................13 1.2 Francophone Portrayals of Hybrid Cultural Identities ................................................ 19 1.3 Creole Hybridity...........................................................................................................23 1.3.1 Becoming American......................................................................................26 1.3.2 Remaining French......................................................................................... 30 1.4 Alfred Mercier and Perceptions of Cultural Identity................................................... 37 1.4.1 Language....................................................................................................... 39 1.4.2 Shared Customs.............................................................................................43 1.5 Narrating Hybrid Creole Identity.................................................................................45 CHAPTER 2. UNRULY BODIES: REORDERING RACIAL IDENTITIES IN L’HABITATION SAINT-YBARS .............................................................................48 2.1 Racial Identity and Interracial Relations in Creole Louisiana..................................... 49 2.1.1 Racial Mixing in the Colonial Era................................................................ 50 2.1.2 A Multidimensional Racial Order................................................................. 53 2.1.3 Race, Slavery, and the Plantation System in the Nineteenth Century...........55 2.1.4 Reordering Race and the “One Drop Rule”.................................................. 58 2.2 Literary Representations of the Mixed-Race Body......................................................62 2.2.1 The Eighteenth Century: Moreau de Saint-Méry..........................................63 2.2.2 The Nineteenth Century: Victor Hugo, Victor Séjour, and Sidonie de la Houssaye........................................................................................................65 2.3 Depicting Race and Mixed-Race Characters in L’Habitation Saint-Ybars ..................73 2.3.1 Unveiling a False Binary in La Nouvelle-Orléans ........................................ 74 2.3.2 Transgressing Racial Categories on the Saint-Ybars Plantation.................. .79 2.3.3 Uncovering Interracial Heritage, Overcoming Binarity................................84 2.3.4 The Scope of Mixed-Race.............................................................................87 2.3.5 Racial Binarity, Cultural Duality.................................................................. 91 2.4 The Future of Creole Society....................................................................................... 93 CHAPTER 3. TROUBLING GENDER: QUESTIONING PATRIARCHY IN L’HABITATION SAINT-YBARS AND JOHNELLE ...............................................96 3.1 Mercier and Gender Equality...................................................................................... .98 3.2 French Patriarchal Heritage in Louisiana...................................................................103 3.2.1 Returning to a “Natural” Order in France....................................................103 3.2.2 Representing Women on Île de France........................................................107 3.2.3 Idealized Gender Roles in Louisiana...........................................................113 3.3 A Tradition of Contesting Patriarchal Fantasy...........................................................116 iii 3.3.1 Manon Lescaut ............................................................................................118 3.3.2 New Orleans’ Quarteronnes… ....................................................................121 3.3.3 Edna Pontellier: Redefining the Female Self.............................................. 125 3.4 Portraying Patriarchy on the Creole Plantation..........................................................128 3.4.1 The “Failed” Mother....................................................................................129 3.4.2 Fragile Femininity........................................................................................136 3.4.3 Paternal Authority........................................................................................139 3.5 Portraying Traditional Gender Roles in New Orleans................................................144 3.5.1 The “Bad” Mother........................................................................................145 3.6 Challenges to Patriarchy.............................................................................................151 3.6.1 Chant-d’Oisel...............................................................................................152 3.6.2 Illud..............................................................................................................157 3.7 Gender Equality and the Future of Creole Culture.....................................................161 CHAPTER 4. CHANNELING CRÉOLITÉ .................................................................................164 4.1 Cultural Diversity in Louisiana’s Language...............................................................166 4.1.1 Louisiana’s Diverse Francophone Expressions...........................................167 4.1.2 Louisiana French Creole..............................................................................171 4.1.3 Multiple European Languages.....................................................................175 4.2 Language and Identity in Louisiana Literature......................................................... .177 4.2.1 General Trends in Depictions of Louisiana Language................................178 4.2.2 Language in Tante Cydette ..........................................................................180 4.2.3 Language and Controversy in The Grandissimes ........................................183 4.3 Mercier’s Representation of Creole............................................................................194 4.3.1 Language on the Creole Plantation..............................................................197 4.3.2 Creole Language in New Orleans................................................................203 4.4 Expressing Creole Culture through Language............................................................208 4.4.1 Postcolonial Language.................................................................................209
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