Abstract
This thesis underlines the significance of the French nineteenth-century rewritings of Eve for understanding the contemporary enduring relevance of this rebellious female figure and the lived experience of gender in the twenty-first century. From Balzac’s adulterous housewife, who must be ‘lifted up’ and redeemed, to Villiers de l’Isle Adam’s (dis-)obedient Eve robot, the representation of Eve takes a plurality of forms in nineteenth-century French literature. This topical and recurring trope lends itself to various literary, social, political and religious strategies across space and time; although writers and philosophical thinkers have tried to bind Eve to one particular ideological representation of woman as deviant, an analysis of the Eve trope demonstrates that there is a resistance to the suppression of female identity.Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2025.
| Date of Award | Jul 2023 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Sponsors | Northern Ireland Department for the Economy |
| Supervisor | Claire Moran (Supervisor) & Steven Wilson (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- Eve
- Genesis
- nineteenth-century France
- nineteenth-century French Literature
- rebellious women
- deviance
- Honoré de Balzac
- George Sand
- Barbey d'Aurevilly
- Gustave Flaubert
- Émile Zola
- Villiers de l'Isle Adam
- female identity
- The Fall