thesis

La scène italienne : roman et théâtralité chez G. Eliot, G. Gissing, H. James et W.D. Howells, 1875-1890

Defense date:

Jan. 1, 1994

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Institution:

Paris 3

Disciplines:

Abstract EN:

The aim of this phd is to study the way in wich italy is represented in anglo-saxon literature at the end of the nineteenth century. The novels and works of eliot, gissing, howells, and james, belonf to the period 1875-1890, but the introduction presents an overview of the tradition of the italian journey, and of the representation of italy in fiction and literature from the renaissance onwards. This aims at stressing the various influence still to be felt at the end of the victorian period. The firest chapter is devoted to the study of the italien setting, from a historical and spatial point of view, but also from a pictorial point of view. Indeed, the tradition of painting on italian subjects conditions the writing mode of the works which are being studied in the phd, and gives them a pictorial aspect. Theatricality, to finish with, is the main feature of the italian setting, which is a stage, both materially and psychologically. The second chapter is devoted to comedy in italy, in the novels of gissing, howells, and to some extent in two of james's works. The third chapter deals with the tragic qualities of the italian setting in roderick hudson, and the portrait of a lady by james.

Abstract FR:

Le but de cette these est d'etudier le mode de representation de l'italie dans la litterature anglo-saxonne de la fin du dix-neuvieme siecle. Les oeuvres des romanciers du corpus appartiennent a la periode 1875-1890, mais l'introduction presente un parorama de la tradition du voyage en italie et de la representation fictionnelle et litterature de l'italie depuis la renaissance , afin de mettre en relief les influences diverses encore observables a la fin de l'epoque victorienne. Le premier chapitre est consacre a l'etude du cadre italien, du point de vue historique et spatial, du point de vue pictural aussi. En effet, la tradition de la peinture sur des sujets italiens conditionne l'ecriture des romans etudies en lui donnant un caractere pictural. La theatralite est enfin l'aspect majeur du cadre italien qui est une scene sur le plan materiel et psychologique. Le deuxieme chapitre est consacre a la comedie en italie chez gissing, howells, et dans une moindre mesure chez james. La troisieme partie traite des qualites tragiques du cadre italien dans rpderick hudson et dans the portrait of a lady de james.