Some Aspects of the heroine in Nineteenth Century French Literature
Abstract
I propose to study briefly a few aspects of the role of the
N1neteenth century women in France as seen in the novels of certain
important authors. Their heroines must necessarily be composed of two
parts: the woman as she was in the society of the time, and the woman
the author would call ideal. I hope to discover the characteristics
which distinguished the post-revolutionary women from their precursors
who enjoyed a secondary role 1n society. In general these characteristics
place emphasis on female capabilities and female demands for equality.
Principle sources of evidence will be the women created by Stendhal,
Flaubert, Zola and Balzac.