La condition feminine dans les derniers romans de george sand de monsieur sylvestre (1865) a albine (1876)
Institution:
Université Marc Bloch (Strasbourg) (1971-2008)Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
Talking about women's condition concerning george sand may seem at first sight rather commonplace. However the novelist's attitude towards this question wavers between two representations. The most common is based upon the cliche setting the novelist as an emancipated woman especially in her love life but also because of her financial independence. Some critics have debunked the feminist image and have found fault with her lukewarmness even her hostility towards her time's suffragettes. Has sand really worked for the extension of the women's rights or has she only been busy with her own liberation ? the description of the women's condition in her literary works may outline an answer. The latest novels seem an all the more suitable ground to that kind of research as they practically lie fallow. Now, studying the picturing of the female characters throughout their portraits, their actions and destinies undoubtedly prove that sand secretly works to better the women's condition. In order to gain the reader's agreement and try to win him over her cause, she values conventional heroine s endowed with every virtue. Yet, these ideal figures are also provided with more unusual qualities such as cleverness, courage, the sense of initiative, strengthened by a flawless education. Implicitly, sand condemns a society which tends to subject women to male power with all the risks implied in such a process : coquetry, perversity, adultery. . . To show the necessity of an evolution, the novelist finds fault with the frivolous woman who uses her charms to reduce men. She opposes her to the woman of the future, clever and brained who treats men as equals and who hankers with them after the beings' essential mission : bringing up their children for the progress of humanity.
Abstract FR:
Parler de condition feminine a propos de george sand semble a priori un lieu commun. Pourtant la position de la romanciere vis a vis de la question oscille entre deux representations. La plus commune repose sur le cliche qui etablit la romanciere comme une femme emancipee notamment dans sa vie amoureuse mais aussi par son autonomie financiere. Certains critiques ont demonte l'image feministe de l'ecrivain et ont denonce sa tiedeur voire son hostilite a l'egard des militantes de son temps. Sand a-t-elle veritablement oeuvre pour l'extension des droits des femmes ou n'a-t-elle veille qu'a sa propre liberation ? sa description de la condition feminine dans son oeuvre litteraire permet d'ebaucher une reponse. Les derniers romans paraissent un terrain d'autant plus propice a ce type de recherche qu'ils sont pratiquement a l'etat de friches. Or l'analyse de la representation de ses personnages feminins a travers leurs portraits, leurs actions et leur destins montre indubitablement que sand travaille sourdement a l'amelioration de la condition des femmes. Pour se concilier le lecteur et tenter de le rallier a sa cause, elle valorise des heroines conventionnelles dotees de toutes les perfections. Cependant, ces figures ideales sont aussi pourvues de qualites moins habituelles, comme l'intelligence, le courage, l'esprit d'initiative, renforcees par une education hors du commun. Implicitement, sand condamne la societe qui tente d'assujettir les femmes au pouvoir masculin, avec tous les risques que comportent de tels procedes : coquetterie, perversite, adultere. . . Pour demontrer la necessite d'une evolution, la romanciere discredite la femme futile qui utilise ses charmes pour reduire les hommes. Elle lui oppose la femme de l'avenir, intelligente et instruite, qui traite d'egal a egal avec les hommes et qui songe avec eux a la mission primordiale des etres : elever leurs enfants pour le progres de l'humanite.