French Cultural StudiesFrench Cultural StudiesFCS 292 H1SFCS 292 H1S

Love, Sex and Desire Love, Sex and Desire

in French Literature and Cinemain French Literature and Cinema

Course Instructor: Marie-Anne Course Instructor: Marie-Anne VisoiVisoi

University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto

Émile ZolaÉmile Zola“Nana”“Nana”

18801880

““A murmur spread through A murmur spread through the house like a rising the house like a rising wind. A few people wind. A few people clapped and every opera-clapped and every opera-glass was focused on glass was focused on Venus. Gradually Nana Venus. Gradually Nana had asserted her had asserted her domination over the domination over the audience and now she audience and now she held every man at her held every man at her mercy. She was like an mercy. She was like an animal on heat whose animal on heat whose ruttishness had permeated ruttishness had permeated the whole theatre. Her the whole theatre. Her slightest movement slightest movement aroused lust; a jerk of her aroused lust; a jerk of her little finger was sexy.” little finger was sexy.”

Historical and Socio-Cultural ContextHistorical and Socio-Cultural Context1919thth Century France Century France

• Second EmpireSecond Empire• powerful middle powerful middle

classclass• economic progresseconomic progress• carefree attitude: carefree attitude:

“joie de vivre”“joie de vivre”

• cafés and cabaretscafés and cabarets

• workshops and art workshops and art galleriesgalleries

• concert halls and concert halls and salons salons

ParisParisbefore before La Belle Époque (Beautiful La Belle Époque (Beautiful

Era)Era)(between late 19th century and (between late 19th century and

World War I)World War I)

New Art FormsNew Art Forms  Impressionism Impressionism 

Edouard ManetEdouard Manet, Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe (The Picnic), Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe (The Picnic)

Music Music OperettasOperettas

Jacques OffenbachJacques Offenbach

Operettas: Operettas:

““Orpheus in the Orpheus in the Underworld”Underworld”

http://gallery.sjsu.edu/paris/music/operetta.html

““La belle Hélène”La belle Hélène”

ArchitectureArchitecture

Art NouveauArt Nouveau

Glass and CeramicsGlass and Ceramics

• exhibitions (the World Fair of 1867)exhibitions (the World Fair of 1867)

•the age of the age of “courtisans” “courtisans” and and sexual hypocrisysexual hypocrisy

•fashion trendsfashion trends

Naturalism and the Naturalism and the “scientific novel”“scientific novel”

Zola tried to employ in his novels Zola tried to employ in his novels scientific principles:scientific principles:

• observation of 19observation of 19thth century French century French society society

• collection of information collection of information • analysis and interpretation of analysis and interpretation of

documents and other materialdocuments and other material

Rougon-Macquart cycle, Rougon-Macquart cycle, 1871-18931871-1893

The two branches of the family are the The two branches of the family are the Rougons, shopkeepers and petty Rougons, shopkeepers and petty bourgeois, and the Macquarts, bourgeois, and the Macquarts, smugglers and alcoholics.smugglers and alcoholics.

Zola wrote to his publisher in 1868:Zola wrote to his publisher in 1868:

““The Rougon-Macquart - the The Rougon-Macquart - the group, the family, whom I group, the family, whom I propose to study - has as its propose to study - has as its prime characteristic the overflow prime characteristic the overflow of appetite, the broad upthrust of of appetite, the broad upthrust of our age, which flings itself into our age, which flings itself into enjoyments.” enjoyments.”

““Physiologically the members of this Physiologically the members of this family are the slow working-out of family are the slow working-out of accidents to the blood and nervous accidents to the blood and nervous system which occur in a race after a system which occur in a race after a first organic lesion, according to the first organic lesion, according to the environment determining in each of environment determining in each of individuals of this race sentiments, individuals of this race sentiments, desires, passions, all the natural and desires, passions, all the natural and instinctive human manifestations instinctive human manifestations whose products take on the whose products take on the conventional names of virtues and conventional names of virtues and vices.” vices.”

CharactersCharacters

Zola’s novel insists on the importance of Zola’s novel insists on the importance of heredity and environment in determining heredity and environment in determining character (H. Taine).character (H. Taine).

His characters are clearly illustrating His characters are clearly illustrating aspects of the 19aspects of the 19thth century French society. century French society.

Main characters Main characters (Nana, Count Muffat, Satin)(Nana, Count Muffat, Satin)

Representative Representative types of a certain types of a certain social group: social group:

•the actorthe actor•the noble the noble •the bourgeois the bourgeois •the “courtisane”the “courtisane”

Characters and SettingsCharacters and Settings

Zola attributes much of his characters Zola attributes much of his characters behaviour to the surroundings; he behaviour to the surroundings; he bases his work on real-life bases his work on real-life observations and creates character observations and creates character types that betray his perceptions of types that betray his perceptions of the world around him.the world around him.

SettingsSettings

• detailed, well-detailed, well-researched researched settingssettings

• urban scenes urban scenes • group scenes: group scenes:

crowd at the crowd at the VariétésVariétés, concerts, , concerts, dinner parties, dinner parties, restaurant scenesrestaurant scenes

The opening scene in The opening scene in “Nana”“Nana”

“…“…the opening scene of the novel the opening scene of the novel provides the reader with important provides the reader with important insight into Nana’s Character. We are insight into Nana’s Character. We are introduced to the protagonist not by her introduced to the protagonist not by her presence, but by her absence and the presence, but by her absence and the excitement that builds in anticipation of excitement that builds in anticipation of her arrival on scene for a musical show her arrival on scene for a musical show of which she is the star.”of which she is the star.”

Deborah B. BeyerDeborah B. Beyer

Male and Female RolesMale and Female Roles

• In “In “NanaNana”, ”, ZolaZola undermines undermines traditional notions of male and female traditional notions of male and female roles through his characterization of roles through his characterization of his protagonist. his protagonist.

• The reader becomes a “voyeur” by The reader becomes a “voyeur” by gaining access to the private world of gaining access to the private world of a 19a 19thth century French courtesan. century French courtesan.

HomoeroticismHomoeroticism

One of the main themes in the novel One of the main themes in the novel “Nana” is “Nana” is homoeroticismhomoeroticism (deriving (deriving pleasure from observing and pleasure from observing and touching one’s own body) as a touching one’s own body) as a source of sexual empowerment.source of sexual empowerment.

As with Manet’s Olympia, Nana’s self-As with Manet’s Olympia, Nana’s self-containment is evident in her containment is evident in her abandonment in front of the mirror.abandonment in front of the mirror.

Edouard ManetEdouard Manet “Olympia”“Olympia”

Love and Sexual PleasureLove and Sexual Pleasurein the Novelin the Novel

When Nana is unable to find When Nana is unable to find satisfaction in male companionship, satisfaction in male companionship, she turns to women as a possible she turns to women as a possible source of pleasure.source of pleasure.

A link is established between A link is established between lesbianism and vice… “Satin fut son lesbianism and vice… “Satin fut son vice” (Satin was her vice).vice” (Satin was her vice).

““Gender-blending” in Gender-blending” in “Nana”“Nana”

Nana embodies both male and female Nana embodies both male and female characteristics.characteristics.

Her affairs with men and women, her Her affairs with men and women, her cross-dressing and homo-eroticism, cross-dressing and homo-eroticism, serve to empower her.serve to empower her.

Topics for Class Topics for Class DiscussionDiscussion

1.1. Is there a link between Zola’s Is there a link between Zola’s naturalism and the presentation of naturalism and the presentation of love, sex and desirelove, sex and desire in the novel? in the novel?

2.2. Does the presence of the “ironic Does the presence of the “ironic narrator” narrator”

undermine traditional notions of undermine traditional notions of male and female roles? male and female roles? (see Glossary of (see Glossary of

Literary Terms, Course Guide, Part 6)Literary Terms, Course Guide, Part 6)

Literary CommentaryLiterary Commentary

1.1. Discuss the general “mood” of the Discuss the general “mood” of the novel. Identify comical and satirical novel. Identify comical and satirical elements which are used to guide elements which are used to guide your views of your views of lovelove in Zola’s novel. in Zola’s novel.

2.2. Comment on the use of specific Comment on the use of specific images: simile, metaphor, images: simile, metaphor, personification in the portrayal of personification in the portrayal of characters.characters.

““the only business of naturalism is the only business of naturalism is to be natural, and therefore, to be natural, and therefore, instead of saying of instead of saying of NanaNana that it that it contains a great deal of filth, we contains a great deal of filth, we should simply say of it that it should simply say of it that it contains a great deal of nature.”contains a great deal of nature.”

Henry JamesHenry James