PLAISIR ET BONHEUR DANS LA PEAU DE CHAGRIN
PLEASURE AND HAPPINESS IN LA PEAU DE CHAGRIN
Author(s): Paul Matei Christian BotezSubject(s): Philosophy, Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Studies of Literature, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, French Literature, Theory of Literature
Published by: Editura Universitaria Craiova
Keywords: pleasure; happiness; moral; hedonism; capitalism;
Summary/Abstract: The first best seller of Balzac, the novel La Peau de Chagrin (1831) features more than a fantastic story about a pact with the devil and the destructive consequences it brings about. In reality, the adventure of the young intellectual Raphaël de Valentin reveals a moral and ontological significance, relying on the choice between an active life of frivolous pleasures and a calm life of domestic happiness. In this paper, we shall examine how the tragic destiny of the protagonist derives from his confusion between enduring happiness and the ephemeral pleasure offered by a hedonistic lifestyle, all within the social context of the birth of capitalism in the early 19th century.
Journal: Analele Universităţii din Craiova. Seria Ştiinţe Filologice. Limbi şi literaturi romanice.
- Issue Year: XXVI/2022
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 115-127
- Page Count: 12
- Language: French