University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Doctoral Dissertations University of Connecticut Graduate School 5-26-2015 A Literary and Psychological Portrait of the Belle Epoque James DiFilippo University of Connecticut - Storrs, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation DiFilippo, James, "A Literary and Psychological Portrait of the Belle Epoque" (2015). Doctoral Dissertations. 904. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/904 A Literary and Psychological Portrait of the Belle Epoque James Di Filippo, PhD University of Connecticut, 2015 This dissertation depicts the Belle Epoque (1870-1914) whose Zeitgeist was epitomized by the motto, «fluctuat, nec mergitur» (Willms 339). The transformation in the spirit of Europe revealed the emergence of the conscious, the influence of the unconscious and the discovery of psychoanalysis. Although the fin de siècle was a period of degeneration, the epoch also represented hope for a new beginning. The Belle Epoque in Paris displayed a coat of arms that represented a metaphorical emblem of a tumultuous, sailing ship having an unattainable destination. The national self-awareness engendered a collective pathology, self-confidence and pride that characterized the consciousness of an age. In order to appreciate Nana (1880), the ninth volume in the Rougon-Macquart series by Emile Zola (1840-1902), and Divinas palabras: tragicomedia de aldea (1920), heralding from the trilogy, Comedias bárbaras (Aguila de blazón, 1907; Romance de lobos, 1908; and Cara de plata, 1923) by Valle-Inclán (1866-1936), one must have an understanding of this extraordinarily dynamic and creative period. The psychoanalytic perspectives of autre (“ego”) and Autre (“unconscious”) established by Freud, the concept of le stade du miroir (“the mirror stage”) and the ideology of désir (“desire”) propagated by Lacan, and the distinctive tenets of mimesis, sacrifice and skandalon (“scandal”) or pierre d’achoppement (“stumbling block”) advocated by Girard, renders an interdisciplinary, as well as intertextual, analysis of the representative masterpieces, Nana and Divinas palabras, and bring to light a new understanding of literature of the Belle Epoque. Lacan also advocates that literature reflects paradigms that enable the psychoanalyst and the analysand to fathom dreams, symptoms and parapraxes, and adheres to Freud in the tenet that James Di Filippo – University of Connecticut, 2015 there is a liaison between real case studies and the literary domain. Another phenomenon of the Belle Epoque was the drama, La femme X…, by master playwright, Alexandre Bisson (1848-1912). This histoire de coeur spans a century, having been translated into fifteen international film versions, the most in the history of film. Analogous to Madame X, another famous heroine, Madame Henriette de Mortsauf, the châtelaine and l’ange de Clochegourde in Le lys dans la vallée by Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850), also sacrifices herself for love, having psychological ramifications which result in her death. A Literary and Psychological Portrait of the Belle Epoque James Di Filippo B.A., Boston College, 1982 M.A.T., Monmouth University, 1995 M.A., Bryn Mawr College, 2002 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut 2015 i Copyright by James Di Filippo 2015 ii APPROVAL PAGE Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation A Literary and Psychological Portrait of the Belle Epoque Presented by James Di Filippo, B.A., M.A.T., M.A. Major Advisor ________________________________________ Lucy McNeece Associate Advisor _____________________________________ Norma Bouchard Associate Advisor _____________________________________ Gustavo Nanclares University of Connecticut 2015 iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge my faithful champion Samoyed, Andrei, whose four paws have accompanied me throughout my program since its inception, and who remains with me to this day. I would also like to acknowledge my perspicacious chairperson, Professor Lucy McNeece, who always encouraged me and endeavored to get my best performance, while maintaining cohesion with my committee. My gratitude also extends to my associate advisors, Professor Norma Bouchard and Professor Gustavo Nanclares, who diligently responded to my many questions. I would be remiss if I didn’t express my gratitude to Professor Emerita Rae Beth Gordon, who was always an inspiration to me, especially in her class, “The French Novel of the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century.” Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my parents for their constant source of support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Table of Contents v-vi Introduction 1-9 Chapter 1 I. La Belle Époque: le navire à la dérive 10-24 [The Belle Époque: The Drifting Ship] II. Madame X 25-42 Chapter II I. L’ange de Clochegourde 43-49 [The Angel of Clochegourde] II. Le poison vert d’un âge oublié 50-60 [The Green Poison of a Forgotten Age] III. Le fin de siècle 61-73 IV. Une nuit à se souvenir 74-80 [A Night to Remember] Chapter III Freud, Lacan, Girard: das es, l’autre, skandalon 81-140 Chapter IV Nana: la femme fatale insoumise et la bonne fille 141-213 [Nana: The Unsubdued Femme Fatale and the Good Girl] v Chapter V Divinas Palabras: Portrait of a Spanish Masterpiece 214-289 Conclusion 290-295 Appendix 296-297 Works Cited 298-315 vi INTRODUCTION This dissertation depicts the Belle Epoque (1870-1914) whose Zeitgeist was epitomized by the motto, «fluctuat, nec mergitur» (Willms 339). The transformation in the spirit of Europe revealed the emergence of the conscious, the influence of the unconscious and the discovery of psychoanalysis. The Belle Epoque was characterized by Art Nouveau , the prominent style that dominated Europe, and decadence, reflecting excitement or despair with regard to impending change and signifying an ominous blend of opulence and decadence confronting unavoidable change. Although the fin de siècle was a period of degeneration, the epoch also represented hope for a new beginning. During the fin de siècle, Paris was the “capital of the 19th century,” and the Universal Exhibition of 1900 signaled a transformation in European attitude from pessimism and disenchantment to optimism and reform. Paris experienced the Belle Epoque as an era of euphoria emanating from an abundance of entertainment and wealth. A golden age for the performing arts, the epoch ushered in a cachet of irrepressible adventure and grandeur, glamour and style, flamboyance and privilege, and omnipresent leisure and frivolity. Bohemianism permeated the fin de siècle, while the Belle Epoque evoked its glitter. Baudelaire, whose artifice transcended nature, a triumph that epitomized his esthetic, created a visionary universe encompassing synesthesia and believed in the reciprocity of art and the life of art. The Paris Commune of 1871, which represented a transition from the Second Empire to the Third Republic, reflected the contrast of the discipline of respectable society and the indulgence characteristic of Bohemia. The cafés and cabarets of Montmartre testified to a symbiosis between la Bohème and the bourgeoisie, and to the existence of a public in search of Bohemia. Also, Le Chat Noir, established in 1881, reflected changes in Parisian life and evocations of Bohemia. A modernist poetry emanated from the remnants of Romanticism, especially the legacy of Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Stéphane Mallarmé and Paul Verlaine, the main 1 architects of French poetry of the late 19th century. The Baudelairean vision associated Bohemia with the “vaporization of the self” (Seigel 266), and Verlaine epitomized the fin de siècle Bohemian, his early verse reflecting the school of the Parnassians which superseded the Romantics. As the image and experience of Bohemia were transformed, new movements in art and literature created the modernist avant-garde, such as Impressionism, which rendered pure encounter in the moment and reconstructed visual experience. Four avant-garde figures are noteworthy for their significant contributions during the fin de siècle and the avant-guerre: Henri Rousseau, a French Post-Impressionist painter, who created signature “portrait- landscapes”; Erik Satie, a composer, pianist and Montmartre bohemian who sought Impressionism in music; Alfred Jarry, the avant-garde author, who epitomized the “New Spirit” in fin de siècle Paris; and Guillaume Apollinaire, impresario of cubism, of which Le Chat Noir and Lapin Agile were salons, and surrealism. Another phenomenon of the Belle Epoque was the drama «La Femme X…» by master playwright, Alexandre Bisson. This histoire de coeur spans a century, having been translated into fifteen international film versions, the most in the history of film. The leitmotiv of maternal love, poignantly portrayed when the ravaged heroine, Jacqueline Fleuriot, is reunited with her beloved son after many dark years, is linked to other salient, universal themes, including adulterous love, forgiveness, redemption, destiny and death. Bisson’s narrative technique, composed of suspense and revelation as coups de théâtre, especially as portrayed in the courtroom scenes and dénouement, contributes to the tragic pathos and audience appeal of his classic play. Previous to his swan song, Bisson, a versatile playwright, had written more than fifty comedies, and he also possessed a power of observation that revealed truth through fine psychological character studies. 2 Analogous to Madame