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.