Reactions to Anarchism in the Worlcs of Maurice - Durham e-Theses

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Durham E-Theses
Reactions to anarchism in the works of Maurice Barres
and Georges Darien,1885-1914.
Brewster, Elizabeth
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2
Reactions to Anarchism in the Worlcs of
Maurice Barres and Georges Darien,
1885-1914.
Elizabeth Brewster
The copyright of this thesis rests with the
author or the university to which It was
submitted. No quotation from It, or
Information derived from H may be published
without the prior written consent of the author
or university, and any information derived
from It should be acknowledged.
1 1 DEC J
Submitted as a thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Department of French
University of Durham
September 2006
Reactions to Anarchism in the works of Maurice Barres
and Georges Darien, 1885-1914
Elizabeth Brewster
Ph.D. Thesis
Submitted to the University of Durham, September 2006.
This thesis looks at the fiction of two very different authors, Maurice Barres
(1862-1923) and Georges Darien (1862-1921). Despite their posthumous
reputations (Barres the proto-fascist, Darien the anarchist individualist), the
ideological and literary development of both these writers have their roots in
their reactions to anarchism, hi this thesis, I examine the effect these reactions to
anarchism had on their status in the champ litteraire, their politics and the
construction of their texts.
In the opening chapter, I address the overarching issues of the nature of
anarchism, political engagement and the champ litteraire of fin-de-siecle Paris. I
refer to secondary sources such as Pierre Bourdieu, Susan Rubin Suleiman and
Richard Sonn to inform my inquiry. I also establish the historical framework of
this period, including Boulangism, the Dreyfus Affair, nationalism and
anarchism. The second chapter examines the lives and careers of Maurice Barres
and Georges Darien in the context of the champ litteraire. The following
chapters all examine issues which both Barres and Darien privileged in their
fiction. The writers' treatment of the self, education, crime and corruption and
national identity are discussed through a detailed comparison of two texts in each
chapter. This discussion takes place within the context of both authors'
engagement with and reactions to anarchism. Throughout this thesis, my method
is a close and comparative reading of selected passages taken from significant
novels and didactic works.
Contents
Acknowledgements IV
Abbreviations VI
1 Anarchism and the Written Word: Barres and Darien as committed
writers 1
'Poems, dreams and bombs': Reacting to anarchism
Political engagement
The fin de siecle period and the theories of le champ litteraire
2 Politics and Purpose: Barres and Darien in le champ litteraire 43
Politicising their family backgrounds
Changes in the literary field
The role of the writer and le champ litteraire
Publishers, politics and the changing champ litteraire
The consequences of status in le champ litteraire
Reaction to the works of Barres and Darien
Posthumous status
3 Anarchism and Autobiography: L 'Ennemi des his and Biribi 95
Autobiography and political activity
Prefaces and politics
The voice of the narrator
Pathos and humour
Liberation and resolution
4 Education and Isolation: Les Deracines and Bas les cceurs! 130
The voice of the young
Family and home
Teachers
Mentors
5 Politics and Authority: Leurs figures and Le Voleur 181
Representing the real
Fictionalising politics
Crime and ideology
Authenticating the text
Politics and authority
6 National Identity and the Individual: Colette Baudoche and L 'Epaulette 220
Nationalism, Propaganda and Fiction
Race and narrative
Mythologizing national identity
Antimilitarism and foreign characters
Undermining the symbols of national identity
Conclusion 257
Bibliography 267
Declaration
This work has been submitted to the University of Durham in accordance with
the regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. It is the author's own
work, and none of it has been previously submitted to the University of Durham
or any other university for a degree.
^Ckrii^.
(Elizabeth Brewster) ...I'^!9.<PM (Date)
ni
© Elizabeth Brewster, 2006
The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be
published without her prior written consent and information derived from it
should be acknowledged.
IV
Acknowledgements
There are many people I would like to thank for their support and encouragement
throughout the time I worked on this thesis. I begin with my supervisor. Dr.
Christopher Lloyd. He has continually pushed me to be more precise and more
persuasive in my writing. I would like to thank him particularly for his help
during this last year. I have really appreciated his guidance, his incisive
criticisms and stimulating observations. I am also extremely grateful to the
University of Durham for their sponsorship of this project.
I also thank the staff at the Bodleian Library and Taylorian Institute,
Oxford, for always being so helpful and friendly to a wandering Durham
postgraduate.
I would like to thank a few friends for their interest in this thesis and,
above all, their help and friendship over the past four years. Dr. Alison Carter has
been a great encouragement. She has been an excellent office comrade, fellow
tutor and partner in crime and 1 look forward to continuing our friendship outside
of Durham. To my former housemate, Rachel Ellis, I am grateful for her humour,
her persistence in phoning me and, above all, her enduring friendship. It's not
easy to be interested in someone else's Ph.D. and she has done it well. Thanks
must also go to Rob and Jill Homer, who have let me stay in their house, advised
me on many matters and also proofread this thesis. I thank them for their support
and for not looking too bored while they did it.
My family has been a continual source of encouragement and relaxation
during my studies and I thank God for them. I thank my mother for always being
on the end of the phone during all my trials and tribulations as well as bailing me
out of sticky financial situations. I also thank my brother and sister for having
amazing families who have allowed me to relax and spend time away from the
concerns of my thesis.
Special thanks must go to my husband, Dr. Richard Brewster. He has
been a faithful friend throughout this piece of research. I have been so thankful
for his laughter, his help and, most of all, his love. He has been a constant source
of support, never complaining while doing more than his fair share of washing-
up and proofreading. He has never failed to demonstrate patience,
encouragement and good humour, particularly in the last year, and so I dedicate
this thesis to him.
Soli Deo gloria.
VI
Abbreviations
The place of publication is Paris throughout this thesis unless other wise stated.
The following abbreviations are used in this thesis:
Georges Darien
Voleurs Voleurs! (Omnibus, 1994).
Maurice Barres
(Euvre limilVN L'CEuvre des Maurice Barres, ed. Philippe Barres, vols 1,
3, 4 & 5 (Club de I'honnete homme, 1965-1968).
Cahiers Mes Cahiers, 1896-1923, ed. G. Dupre (Plon, 1963).
Ennemi L 'Ennemi des lois (Plon, 1927).
Colette Colette Baudoche (Plon, 1923).