The 18th century French novel

ROMANCE TO REALISM AND BEYOND - By Madelsine Wightman

Some weeks ago I examined Voltaire’s Candide (1759) and I will be presently looking at the later novel, l'Ingénu, (published in 1768) in which Voltaire moved away from fantasy and introduced a large part of social and psychological realism. The 18th century was a very significant phase of development for French literature. During this time, the sub-genres mentioned below developed. I will be looking in detail at the novels written within these sub-genres over the coming weeks. These sub-genres and the novels written within them include the following:-

The realistic novel

This sub-genre combined social realism with stories about men and women looking for love. Examples include la Vie de Marianne or Marianne’s Life (1741), and Le Paysan parvenu (1735) by Marivaux; Manon Lescaut ((1731) by the abbé Antoine François Prévost (1731) and Le Paysan perverti (The Perverse Peasant) (1775), a novel in the form of letters by Nicolas-Edme Rétif (1734–1806). Within this sub-genre is a sub-sub-genre of realistic novels about love influenced by Spanish literature; novels full of satire, a variety of different social milieux, and young men learning their way in the new world. The classic example is Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane by Alain-René Lesage (1715).

The novel of the imagination

The novel of the imagination pictured life centuries in the future; L'An 2440, rêve s'il en fut jamais (The year 2440 - dream of all dreams) by Mercier(1771); or stories of fantasy le Diable amoureux (The Devil in Love) of Jacques Cazotte (1772).

The libertine, or erotic novel

The libertine, or erotic novel, featured eroticism, seduction, manipulation, and social intrigue. Classic examples are Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (1782); (Justine ou les Malheurs de la vertu (Justine or the misfortunes of virtue) Donatien Alphonse François de Sade (The Marquis de Sade) (1797); Le Sopha- conte moral ) (The Sopha - a moral tale) by Claude Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (1745), and les Bijoux indiscrets (The indiscreet jewels) (1748) and La Religieuse (The Nun) by Diderot (1760).

The novel of feelings

The novel of feelings appeared in the second half of the 18th century, with the publication of Julie ou la Nouvelle Héloïse (Julie, or the New Heloise), in a novel in the form of letters, written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1761). It was modelled after the English novel Pamela by Samuel Richardson, which was the best-selling novel of the century, drawing readers by its pre-romantic depiction of nature and romantic love. Another popular example was Paul et Virginie by Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre (1787).

L’Ingenu

In the story of "L'Ingenu", Voltaire criticises people who oppose personal liberty, particularly the religious authorities which take advantage of innocents. He criticizes the hypocrisy of the Jesuits. They use their influence over the French king to control the people and ignore the principles of virtue. The character "L'Ingenu" was born in the New World (literally "naive one") was born in the New World. Therefore, he has not grown up under the corrupting influence of French society. His Huron identity suggests innocence as well as naivit. The Huron country is still new- already discovered by the French but not yet moulded into the image of French civilization.

He is innocent and curious; his heart is not prejudiced. His mind is open and ready to learn. His purity permits him to see things as they really are. He sees, for example, the principles of the New Testament in a literal clarity which the people blinded by the Catholic Church cannot see them. In this way, Voltaire commends true religion and deplores the false. False religion with all its abuses of the common people, is a useless thing that confuses and blinds them Voltaire criticizes the religious establishment for insisting that everyone adopt their values.

These values are founded on the French military "glory", and on the belief that only philosophy that helps them maintain their power to manipulate the French people is valuable. As the counsellors and servants of the king, the Jansenists help him by seducing men to join his military machine. Voltaire criticizes this military machine because he is strongly against war and its waste of human life.

The Jansenists change L'Ingenu by convincing him that the only way to gain an important position in society is to assume a false name in Paris. The Jansenist whom he meets in prison encourages him to behave like the rest of French society and not like savages. In the use of L’Ingenu as a Huron character Voltaire criticizes the attitude of racial superiority that was so prevalent in eighteenth century France. To accomplish his goal of making a French life, L'Ingenu must become as "French" as possible. So he takes on another name,"Hercules of Kerkabon". Because "Hercules" is the name of an old European hero, it suggests to him a new identity, a European identity. "...Voltaire shows us with a herself reduced, shows the richness of this delicate proud soul, modest and resolute at the same time."

Therefore, like L'Ingenu, she is placed in a situation where she must lose her virtue to attain her goal- freedom for her lover. In a sense, she is like L'Ingenu- pure in motive, dirtied by the circumstances in which she finds herself trapped by the priest in a sexual act. Far from protecting her virtue, as he should as a representative of the Church, the priest steals it by demanding her virginity in exchange for her lover's freedom. Strangely, it is Saint Yves virtue- that is to say, faithfulness to her lover- that permits her to perform an act normally considered unacceptable.

Thus, she shows considerable courage in consenting to literally sleep with her enemy. Only her body is dirty; her heart shows its incredible love for the lover she must free. In this way, Voltaire questions the traditional idea of morality by showing that there are circumstances in which virtue must be temporarily sacrificed in order to gain a supreme good as a result.shrewd pleasure the Huron stripping himself of his primitive crudeness and gradually absorbing civilization."

What is really primitive- the innocence of L’Ingenu and his curious, reasonable mind open towards a new world- or a civilization that values wars cruelty. L’Ingenu has his innocence and liberty to be who he is stolen away from him.

He can make a career for himself, and only in forgetting himself and his Huron origin can he do that. He must conform to French society with all its faults. Evidently, it is impossible to be virtuous and important while led by the Jansenists. Voltaire criticizes them because they force the French to make a choice between social glory and personal virtue L'Ingenu represents the image of a new French ideal, a natural Frenchman abused. He is the symbol of an innocence persecuted by those who direct French society. Voltaire makes him a voice which comes from outside this society from another world.

He represents the world of those who have no voice. However, there are good French people who are ready to welcome L’Ingenu, like the abby of Kerkabon and his sister. They adopt him as a member of their family.

The region of Basse-Bretagne, which is outside of Versailles, stays as a shelter for virtue because it is more natural and thus less controlled, more free. This society of Basse-Bretagne, in particular, in spite of its smallness, its ridiculous particularism, which makes up for its situation close to nature...The fact that the Huron does not waste time in discovering a parent with the Bass-Bretons does nothing but reinforce the links which had spontaneously tied the stranger to his hosts, in a climate of sympathy and kindness.

Such a shift between the "mores" of a country and certain of its "institutions" reflects the idea that Voltaire had of his own time. L'Ingenu's lover, Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves, also suffers at the hands of cruel religion, for she must sacrifice her virginity three times to protect the one she loves.

"The interior analyses of Saint-Yves "generous and respectable infidel", in the extreme circumstance to which she finds Voltaire criticizes society for not having respect for virtue as it concerns romantic relationships. Men's liberty is not defended, for L'Ingenu is put in prison on a false accusation.

The honor of women, that of being faithful to their lovers, is also dishonoured. Finally his company exits from the back cabinet, all flustered, without being able to speak, reflecting deeply on the character of greats and half-greats who sacrifice so lightly the freedom of men and the honor of women.

In conclusion, Voltaire realises that society is corrupted, because all humans are as susceptible to doing wrong as being the victims of wrong themselves.

"One notices that each profession has a vice and a danger attached to it, and that from the prince right down to the lowest of paupers, all seem to accuse nature”. However, there are people who, like Pere Tout-a-Tous (Father All-to-All), have a lot more opportunity to do harm because society excuses their abuse of religion. False religion, which encourages the immoral acts of religious leaders, is nothing but a cloudy disguise for those who reduce ordinary people to the level of slaves to their interests.