Postcolonial writing in Louisiana: surpassing the role of French traditionalism in Alfred Mercier's L'habitation Saint-Ybars

Identifier

etd-04112008-114436

Author

Mary Florence Cashell, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CollegeFollow

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

French Studies

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This thesis explores the roles of French patriarchal ideologies of the Enlightenment and exoticism in Alfred Mercier’s novel, L’habitation Saint-Ybars. His novel portrays the antebellum Creole plantation as a hierarchy of strict gender roles similar to those that Enlightenment philosophy espoused. I use the family in Bernardin de Saint-Pierre’s classic, Paul et Virginie, as one example of such a hierarchy. There are also, however, several instances where Mercier departs from the paternalistic norm. I interpret Mercier’s moving away from this model to be a declaration of a unique Louisianian identity.

Date

2008

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Recommended Citation

Cashell, Mary Florence, "Postcolonial writing in Louisiana: surpassing the role of French traditionalism in Alfred Mercier's L'habitation Saint-Ybars" (2008). LSU Master's Theses. 1117.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/1117

Committee Chair

Jack Yeager

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.1117