UCC Library and UCC researchers have made this item openly available. Please let us know how this has helped you. Thanks! Title The contribution of Victor Hugo to the liberation, emancipation, and changing perceptions of women in 19th century French society Author(s) Ní Riordáin, Jeanna Publication date 2015 Original citation Ní Riordáin, J. 2015. The contribution of Victor Hugo to the liberation, emancipation, and changing perceptions of women in 19th century French society. PhD Thesis, University College Cork. Type of publication Doctoral thesis Rights © 2015, Jeanna Ní Riordáin. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Embargo information No embargo required Item downloaded http://hdl.handle.net/10468/3115 from Downloaded on 2021-10-06T02:23:33Z Table of Contents: Declaration of Work: p.4 Abstract: p.5 Acknowledgements: p.6 Introduction pp.8-21 Chapter 1: The Feminist Deathbed – Hugo’s funeral eulogies to women. The eulogy as a vector for Hugo’s femimism pp.22-24 The politicised state funeral in 19th century France pp.25-35 A background to Hugo’s eulogy at the graveside of Louise Julien on 26 July 1853 pp.35-38 Hugo’s funeral eulogy to Louise Julien pp.38-48 Hugo’s funeral eulogy to George Sand pp.48-57 Hugo’s funeral eulogy to Emily de Putron pp.57-69 Chapter 2: The letters of a ‘great artist’: Hugo’s epistolary correspondences with women from exile. Hugo’s letter-writing practices pp.70-72 Hugo’s correspondences in defence of moral causes during his exile in the Channel Islands pp.72-78 Hugo’s letter to the women of Cuba pp.78-85 Hugo’s letter to Josephine Butler and the women of the Ladies’ National Association pp.86-97 Hugo’s letter to the wives of Fenian prisoners pp.98-109 Chapter 3: Hugo’s Letter in Support of Women’s Education. Women’s exclusion from the Republic pp.110-116 1 Republicanism and education pp.116-117 Republicanism and women’s education pp.117-122 Hugo’s letter to A.M. Trébois, president of La Société des écoles, in support of female Education: Education and Instruction pp.122-126 The Enlightened alternative to Rousseau’s educative model proposed by Enlightenment feminist thinkers and by feminists in the Third Republic pp.126-131 The role of women’s education in the attainment of women’s rights. pp.131-133 Female education and its wider social utility pp.133-137 The exclusion of women from scientific instruction in 19th century France pp.138-145 Chapter 4: Hugo’s Letters in Support of Women’s Rights during the Third Republic. Women and the Third Republic pp.146-156 Hugo’s letters to Léon Richer and the New Republic pp.156-158 Hugo’s feminist discourse pp.158-169 Hugo’s support for feminist issues in his correspondence with Léon Richer pp.169-174 Hugo’s Romantic vision of femininity pp.174-176 The correspondence of the women of La Société pour l’amélioration du sort des femmes with Hugo pp.176-180 Hugo’s letter of reply to the women in support of their cause pp.180-189 Chapter 5: Hugo’s Maternal Sublime – The Treatment of the Maternal in the Literary Works of Victor Hugo. Hugo and the maternal pp.190-192 Maternal essence – Hugo’s archetypal mothers pp.192-212 2 Houzarde and women in revolution pp.212-226 Enjolras and women’s role in the republic pp.226-231 The representation of the maternal in Hugo’s male characters pp.231-263 Conclusion pp.264-278 Bibliography pp.279-294 3 Declaration of Work: I hereby declare that this thesis submitted for the degree of PhD (French) is my own work and has not been submitted for another degree, either at University College Cork or elsewhere. Signed: Jeanna Ní Riordáin 4 Abstract. The over-riding perceptions of Victor Hugo’s attitudes towards women are intensely coloured by his deep-seated Romanticism and his well-testified, stifling, and over- bearing treatment of women in his personal life. As such, Hugo’s contribution to the feminist movement of his time has been woefully overlooked in the larger scheme of his social and political activism. Through a close examination of his largely neglected and unstudied public discourse on behalf of women’s rights, this thesis situates Hugo’s feminist views firmly in the context of 19th century French feminism, while also drawing heavily from the illuminating precepts of Enlightenment feminism. In particular, this thesis examines Hugo’s support for several of the most determining issues of 19th century French feminism, including women’s right to education, equal citizenship, universal suffrage rights, and the issue of regulated prostitution. Further, by examining the way in which Hugo’s views on women’s maternal role extended far behind the limited vision of domesticity bolstered by the ideology of ‘republican motherhood’, this thesis engages in a re-appraisal of Hugo’s literary representation of maternity which identifies the maternal as a universal quality of devotion and self- sacrifice to which all humankind must aspire for the creation of a just, egalitarian, and democratic society. Though at times inevitably constrained by his Romanticism, this thesis demonstrates the extent to which Hugo’s feminism is grounded in his wider vision of social emancipation and is underpinned by a profound empathy, compassion, and moral conscience – qualities which are just as fundamental for men participating in the feminist struggle today, as they were for Hugo when participating in the fitful, though decisive, feminist movement in 19th century France. 5 Acknowledgements. There are several people who have been a constant source of encouragement, support, and guidance for me throughout my writing of this thesis. It gives me great pleasure to finally have the opportunity to extend my thanks to them. I owe immense thanks to Paul Hegarty for accepting to supervise this project and for providing such valuable direction for this thesis, particularly in its initial stages. I am very grateful to have had such an understanding and encouraging supervisor who I knew was always only an email away in times of need and who painstakingly read the many lengthy drafts which were extended in his direction throughout the writing of this thesis. I owe deepest thanks also to Fiona Cox whose inspiring, enthusiastic, and stimulating undergraduate classes fostered my initial fascination with Victor Hugo, and whose expert assistance was a tremendous help to me in devising an original and tenable research project. I am especially thankful to Fiona for her sound advice, expertise, and kind words throughout every stage of this project, and for encouraging me to present my research at two thoroughly enjoyable SDN conferences. I would like to thank my trusty proof-reader Elaine Ni Chaoimh for her meticulous reading of my thesis. I am certain that many typing errors and unwieldy sentences would have gone unnoticed were it not for her generous and painstaking reading of each completed chapter and the many revised drafts of this thesis. I would also like to express my deepest thanks to Elaine for her friendship, support, and encouragement throughout this project. I would also like to thank my dear friend Siobhán Ní Mhuimhneacháin for her continued support and encouragement and her very generous feedback on my work. I am particularly grateful to Siobhán for tolerating so many conversations about my research. It is of great importance to me to thank all of the following people for their kind words of support and encouragement, and most importantly, who always reminded me of the end goal: Nóríde Ní Mhuimhneacháin, Fiona Crowe, Joan O’Mahony, Margaret Ní Mhuimhneacháin, Nóirín O’Riordan, Nicola Ní Chríodáin, Ronan O’Mahony, Robert Cast, Éanna Ó’Críodáin, Bret Harrington, Mary Creedon, Bailey Crowley, and my 6 dear Nana Nora O’Driscoll. Gobnait Dineen owes special thanks for her help with transport in times of need. Special thanks are owed also to Marie Buckley for accompanying me on many energizing coffee breaks on campus. Thanks also to Cian Ó’Riordáin for his patient and at times much-needed technical support. Finally, I would not have been able to undertake this thesis nor see it through to completion were it not for the emotional and financial support of my family and I am very grateful now to be able to grant them this small, though heartfelt, token of my thanks. 7 The contribution of Victor Hugo to the liberation, emancipation, and changing perceptions of women in 19th century French society. When one thinks of Victor Hugo and women, the word feminism certainly does not often, if ever, come to mind. One thinks rather of Hugo as the ardent, philandering lover, the Romantic poet forever contemplating Le Sacre de la Femme, or the loving, generous, but over-bearing father. And yet, it is widely accepted that Hugo did support women’s rights and defended the plight of women. The figure of Fantine serves as the most enduring reminder of Hugo’s defence of women which has lingered on into public and popular imagination. While his commiseration with the plight of women may be acknowledged however, the perceived need to devote singular and unique attention to Hugo’s defence of women, or indeed to consider whether his name merits a place in the feminist movement of the 19th century has not been deemed worthy of in-depth critical appraisal in Hugolian scholarship to date. There appears to be several over-riding reasons for this phenomenon. Most obviously, the voluminous collection of studies devoted to Hugo’s personal relationships with women have dramatically directed the course of scholarly focus away from any in- depth appraisal of his contribution to the feminist struggle of his time.