Perrault's Morals for Moderns (American University Studies) - Hardcover

Jeanne Morgan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0820402303 ISBN 13: 9780820402307

Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers, 1985

Synopsis

This study is the first to prove conclusively that the Contes were inspired by the literary Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns, and addressed to the members of the French Academy. Drawing upon historical documentation and close textual analysis, it traces the evolution of Perrault's conte moderne and the way in which it was received by his contemporaries. Earlier studies dealing with the Contes' stylistic qualities or the fairy tale genre have been heavily influenced by the Contes' time-honored status as a work of folklore and children's literature; this study, however, examines the work strictly from the perspective of their author and originally intended audience. It is the first to refute the notion that the Contes were written for children, and to prove that the tales' very popularity has distorted our understanding of the original text. The stylistic analysis also identifies Perrault as a gifted moralist, rivalling La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyère, and especially La Fontaine.

About this title

Review

«...the book is full of interest and points the way to a profi- table area for further research.» (D.J. Culpin) «The study presents a plausible explanation of the dual nature of Perrault's works and is a welcome contribution to 17th-century scholarship.» (Seventeenth-Century News)

Edition details

• Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers
• Publication date: 1985
• ISBN 10: 0820402303
• ISBN 13: 9780820402307
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 187