"I recognize in thieves, traitors and murderers, in the ruthless and the cunning, a deep beauty-a sunken beauty." (Jean Genet)
"I'm homosexual... How and why are idle questions. It's a little like wanting to know why my eyes are green." (Jean Genet)
A nod of acknowledgement and understanding should descend upon every head that has read Querelle and is aware that Jean Genet is the author after looking at the above two quotes. Genet’s fiction might after all be a coalition of artistically twisted facts. The nod might grow more vigorous after a quick skim through even the most basic of the French writer’s biography. It is then that the acknowledgement and understanding combine into generalization that an author’s life somehow reflects through his work. It is precisely when a reader is exposed to Genet’s history that Querelle begins to strip out of its secrets. Suddenly the protagonist can be sympathized, Nono’s feminine bursts seem consistent with the plot and Genet himself could be seen between lines. Historicism plays a significant role in a greater appreciation of an artist’s composition.
Having lived a life of a criminal from the age of 10 , Genet is to a frightening degree Querelle himself. His serving at the Mettray Reformatory and his life as a thief, a burglar, and a prostitute enhances the Querelle in him. Even his hero’s name apparently has a streak of his sexual orientation as Sartre points out that Genet himself as a writer is extremely specific about names. His friend shares an account where Genet mentions how he does not like roses but cherishes the name itself. The event in which a person begins to visualize the being of a word in the word itself distinguishes Genet’s complex character, yet again adding to his g...
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Perhaps the most evident display of transformation comes in the form of Isabelle’s social and moral evolution which is stimulated by her illicit relationship with Stephen in Part 1 of Faulks’ naturalistic novel. Isabelle’s husband, Azaire is a symbol of the “old wealth” in the Belle Époque era; he is a factory owner and enjoys an important social presence within Amiens: “There would have been no doubt that this was a property of a substantial man”...
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Monsieur Mouret had the utmost respect for women and their habits; this is the case until his boredom with them in his private life overwhelms his desires for them, in which case he moves on to the next victim. In the public arena he continually portrays himself as a gentleman of gentlem...
American Literature. 6th Edition. Vol. A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2003. 783-791
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The relationship shared by Pierre and Helene is best described as a lustful charade. It is no coincidence that Pierre, one of the most introspective characters in the novel, first marries a shallow, inwardly-ugly adulterer. His first recorded attitude towards Helene is one of admira...
In this novel, the society is centered around dichotomies; “youth and dotage” (Balzac 67), “the young man who has possessions and the young man that has nothing” and “the young man who thinks and the young man who spends” (87). Any person who falls outside of either box is called a “[child] who learn[s]… too late” or can “never appear in polite society” (87), essentially meaning they are undesirable in a formal society because they cannot follow expectations. The titular character, Paquita, is an “oriental” foreigner, from Havana, domesticated in Paris when she was sold to a wealthy woman who desired her. She fits into no culture entirely, as she is “part Asian houri on her mother’s side, part European through education, and part tropical by birth” (122). She is bisexual, choosing neither men nor women over the other. She is controlling, dressing Henri in women’s clothing (119), but controlled as she is reduced to a possession. However, there are ways in which a person can still be desired even if they are not easily pigeonholed. With her golden eyes and sensuality, Paquita fulfills both of the main pursuits of this society, “gold and pleasure” (68). Consequently, unlike the Marquis and his irrelevance in society, Paquita is highly sought after, thus making her a valuable commodity. Her desirability is not because of who she is as a human, but instead what
Jean Paul Sartre's philosophy is one of the most popular systems of thought in the school called existentialism. Sartre valued human freedom and choice, and held it in the highest regard. To be able to live an authentic existence, one must take responsibility for all the actions that he freely chooses. This total freedom that man faces often throws him into a state of existential anguish, wherein he is burdened by the hardship of having to choose all the time. Thus, there ensues the temptation for man to live a life of inauthenticity, by leaning on preset rules or guidelines, and objective norms. This would consist the idea of bad faith.
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Durrenmatt uses many allusions in The Visit in which its connections sheds so much more light on the play and helps to emphasize even the smallest aspects of it. Durrenmatt’s implementation of allusions to describe characters at a deeper lever, compare events in Guellen to its contrasting Westernized culture and show the irony of what Claire does to what others say, helps us understand The Visit at a much deeper level and far more interesting way.
Quimet’s attitude towards Natalia throughout their relationship enhances the man’s dominance in the Spanish culture. In the novel, Quimet, “delivered a long sermon about men and
Oxford Art Online. “Neo-classicism & The French Revolution”. Oxford University Press. Web. 5th May 2013.