Identity, Belief and the Supernatural in Works By
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FANTASTIC ENCOUNTERS: IDENTITY, BELIEF AND THE SUPERNATURAL IN WORKS BY PAUL FÉVAL by WILLIAM BRADLEY HOLLEY CARMEN MAYER-ROBIN, COMMITTEE CHAIR METKA ZUPANCIC JEAN-LUC ROBIN BRUCE EDMUNDS HOLLY GROUT A DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics in the Graduate School of The University of Alabama TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA 2011 Copyright William Bradley Holley 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT Nineteenth-century French fantastic tales are rampant with supernatural creatures and events. The manifestation of supernatural phenomena, as a literary device, creates a relationship between the reader and the author that allows the reader to negotiate the fictional world the author has created. The belief that the reader is able to accord to the supernatural, and thus the narrative as a whole can fluctuate depending upon the reader‘s own perception. By questioning identity, as well as by introducing archetypal images such as the femme fatale, the author is also able to modify the reader‘s perception by integrating historical figures and events that promote credibility to the overall narrative. Paul Féval, a French nineteenth-century novelist, demonstrates the author‘s role of establishing the author-reader relationship in many of his fantastic tales and works of popular fiction. This study examines the supernatural figures, most notably vampires, fairies, and ogres, which Féval uses to engage readers and promote belief in the narrative worlds he creates. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my wife, who has always helped me and supported me. She truly is my fantastic encounter. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am pleased to acknowledge at this time the immense support that I have received from both my director and the other members of my committee. Without their assistance, during this project as well as the years of instruction and training which preceded it, I would scarcely have been ready to take on such a task. Their wealth of information, guidance and encouragement has helped me to grow in my understanding of the French language, literature and the world around me. iv CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ........................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................... iv 1. RESSURECTING THE DEAD ...............................................................1 2. METAFANTASTIC: THE NARRATEE AND THE READER ...........25 3. MONSTERS FROM THE PAST ..........................................................70 4. TWO MINDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE ........................................114 5. TEMPTATION AND DEATH ............................................................153 6. FINDING A PLACE FOR FÉVAL .....................................................186 WORKS CITED ......................................................................................195 v CHAPTER 1 RESURRECTING THE DEAD French literature abounds in examples of fantastic tales, a genre characterized by the presence of ghosts, vampires, zombies and other monsters, who all seem to coexist in a modern, rational world in which psychological, scientific and technological advancements would appear to preclude them. Theorists such as Jutta Fortin and Jean Le Guennec suggest varying ways to approach fantastic texts, though many reject directly addressing supernatural elements, and choose to focus on psychoanalytical interpretations instead. In doing so, they risk concealing the marvelous side of the fantastic. The goal of this study is to demonstrate how the supernatural elements within fantastic literature signify more than a counter-balance for psychological abnormalities. They highlight instead how the supernatural modifies the reader‘s perception of reality, history, and identity. A prolific yet seldom-studied author whose works span from the middle to the late nineteenth century, Paul Féval offers various examples of supernatural elements throughout his body of work. While he is not considered exclusively an author of fantastic tales, his historical fictions and popular novels allow a place for the supernatural figures that are common to fantastic literature. By turning to the supernatural, and looking specifically at superstition, magic, vampires, and monstrous creatures in works by Paul Féval, namely La Vampire (1865), La Ville-Vampire (1874), Le Chevalier Ténèbre (1860), La Fée des grèves (1850), L’Homme de fer (1855) and Le Bossu (1857), this study outlines the importance of belief and perception with regard to supernatural elements, exposes the instability of identities which seem to be the end result of a volatile and unstable socio-political environment marked by 1 numerous social revolutions and redefinitions of the classes, and highlights the depiction of women as stemming from archetypal femmes fatales. Reorienting the fantastic to give greater emphasis to the supernatural will help to discover the proper merit of Paul Féval‘s works. The few extant studies of Paul Féval all agree on the following two points: he was a prolific feuilletoniste, having written anywhere from eighty to over one-hundred works during his career, and he is continually relegated to paraliterary standing with relation to his more famous contemporaries, Eugène Sue and Alexandre Dumas, père. With so many works attributed to his name, and success comparable to literary champions, Féval‘s oeuvre demands exposure, if only to understand why it remains in the margins of literary history. The most definitive biographical work to date is Jean-Pierre Galvan‘s Paul Féval: Parcours d’une Oeuvre, which focuses on elements of Féval‘s life and his various correspondences with publishers. In addition to showcasing the role of perception in fantastic tales, this study likewise brings to light a selection of works penned by Féval which have yet to enter into the canon of nineteenth-century French literature, and it compares his works subsequently with those of already canonized authors, such as Théophile Gautier, E.T.A. Hoffman and Bram Stoker, in order to revisit theories about the fantastic in literature and sharpen our tools for understanding the development and evolution of the genre. With the sheer volume of publications and the success Féval achieved at the height of his career, it is curious that he has not come to be more heavily treated in the time since his death. A few possibilities have been offered concerning this matter. Among these is Féval‘s conversion to Catholicism after his financial ruin in 1876. After his conversion, Féval purchased the rights to his works in order to align them with his newly adopted beliefs, an act that can be construed as compromising the original artistic value of the works. Another possible reason for Féval being forgotten is that his writings are at times too rushed and lack the 2 organization and depth that is expected of the great authors. Some have accurately claimed that the term ―conversion,‖ which Féval himself uses to describe his change in religious devotion is an inapt term since Féval was born, baptized and raised catholic. This ―conversion‖ is rather a rededication to his childhood belief, and a point in his life where he becomes a practicing member of the faith. However, as Féval uses the term conversion to refer to this event, and does so often, I, too, will use it within the same context. In fact, much of Féval‘s correspondence dates from the period after this conversion and in it, he discusses his spiritual journey. It is somewhat unfortunate, however, that many of Féval‘s letters are from late in the author‘s life, and thus the descriptions of his sentiments, views and life conditions are perhaps altered by hindsight and seen through a lens different than what his thoughts may have been at the peak of his writing career. After having converted to Catholicism, his comments are often lined with spiritual rhetoric as well as expressions of regret for his previous disposition toward riches. The letters that have survived from the years during which he penned many of his works show Féval prodding and urging editors and publishers to promote his writings. Fortunately, there nevertheless remains enough information to define Féval and reveal some of the mystery of who this author once was. Paul Henri-Corentin Féval was born in Rennes in the year 1816. He describes his family as poor and dependent upon help from others. ―Je suis Breton, fils d‘un conseiller pauvre, et ma sœur aînée touchait, quand nous fumes orphelins, une pension sur la cassette de Madame la Dauphine, jusqu‘en 1830‖ (Buet 174). He passed through the various levels of education to begin a short career as a lawyer. This career, however, was limited to a single trial. Féval often recounted how at his one trial he passionately defended a man accused of stealing chickens, an event which the scholar Reverend Blunt sums up as follows. 3 When he arose to speak he launched out into a solemn oration in defence [sic] of the chicken-stealer, and with such pomposity that even the judges burst into laughter. To make matters worse, the presiding judge asked the culprit what he had to say in his own defence [sic] and the poor thief gave a dissertation on the art of stealing chickens while preventing them from making any outcry. (102) From this failed day in court, Féval renounced his