Roman et théâtre chez Emile Zola et Henry James : étude comparée

Novel and theatre in E. Zola and H. James : towards a new perspective in comparative study

• Auteur / Autrice : Choon-Hee Kim
• Direction : Yves Chevrel
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Littérature et civilisation comparées
• Date : Soutenance en 1994
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 4

Résumé

Si l'esprit pretendument ''moderne'' du dix-neuvieme siecle nous revele une certaine exigence de l'evolution litteraire dans les idees des formes litteraires et de leurs caracteres, dont les cadres distincts tendent a se briser, cet esprit heterogene accompagne consciemment ou inconsciemment les activites litteraires, lesquelles se caracterisent par la creation hybride du roman et du theatre. Notre sujet d'etude sur zola et james a ete concu d'abord en partant de l'apparente difference des deux temperaments. Celle-ci nous offre un etonnant parallele de phenomenes litteraires, dans le domaine des genres litteraires de l'epoque. La creation hybride du roman et du theatre qui touche reellement les courants litteraires contemporains nous conduit a une reflexion sur les attitudes naturelles de mise en forme litteraire de james et de zola, menant a un melange conscient ou inconscient de la critique et de la creation litteraire. Comment pourrait-on caracteriser leur maniere de melanger les genres ou de melanger les caracteres des formes litteraires ? pour repondre a cet argument, nous adoptons les methodes suivantes : de quelle facon leur creation hybride se presnet-t-elle ?; dans quelle mesure les ''cadres'' du roman et du theatre se lemangent-ils ou se confondent-ils ? l'idee d'une transgression mot-clef de notre etude, se presente alors comme un essai de synthese litteraire pour faire s'interpenetrer et se rapporcher des formes differentes.

E. Zola emerges as problematic from james's literary criticism. Our starting point is : what was the problem in james's under standing of zola ? here, we examine the jamesian review of the key words of ''naturalism'', and consequently its aesthetic fallacy. ''naturalism'' as a common denominator for james and zola proves to be problematic because of a real incompatibility of the term ''naturalism'' as applied to both of these two authors in the aesthetic field. Here we try to establish a more pertinent criteria (which is not as monopolistic as ''naturalism'' with respect to zola) based on their general literary activities themselves. Drawing a paralled between e. Zola and h. James in order to establish a particular comparative approach leads us to contemplate the two authors from a common perspective. We will study the aspects of confusion of mixed forms of literary genres that will guide us towards a certain salient aspect of interpenetration of different kinds of literary forms. Here we will examine the characteristics of this vision of transgression; towards expension or towards restraint. It is the dynamic force of transgression which could be interpreted as vitally essential in expanding or restricting the framework of literary genres a priori defined as novel, drama, etc. Our main task is to evaluate these characteristic aspects of literary froms-collision, tension and intervention with respect to various types of transgression in the novels and dramas of e. Zola and h. James, and to suggest a new specific perspective in ''comparative study'' of h. James and e. Zola.