In this study of vernacular French narrative from the twelfth century through the later Middle Ages, Donald Maddox considers the construction of identity in a wide range of fictions. He focuses on crucial encounters, widespread in medieval literature, in which characters are informed about fundamental aspects of their own circumstances and selfhood. The study offers many new perspectives on the poetic and cultural implications of identity as an imaginary construct during the long formative period of French literature.
Author(s): Donald Maddox
Series: Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 320
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Acknowledgments......Page 13
JOURNALS AND SERIALS......Page 15
COLLECTIVE VOLUMES......Page 17
INTRODUCTION Identity and encounter in medieval literature......Page 23
CONTEXTUALIZING THE ENCOUNTER: THE LIFE OF SAINT EUSTACE......Page 25
MOTIF AND SCHEMA......Page 30
BASIC FEATURES OF THE SPECULAR ENCOUNTER......Page 33
THE QUESTION OF REFLEXIVITY......Page 36
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY......Page 42
1 The specular encounter in fictions of reciprocity: the Lais of Marie de France......Page 46
THE SPECULAR ENCOUNTER IN GUIGEMAR......Page 47
MEDIATORY COMMUNICATION: LAUSTIC AND CHIEVREFOIL......Page 60
MEDIATION BY COUNSEL: DEUS AMANZ, EQUITAN, BISCLAVRET, AND CHAITIVEL......Page 65
MEDIATORY JUDGMENT: LANVAL......Page 70
MEDIATORY DISCLOSURES OF IDENTITY: YONEC, MILUN, LE FRESNE, AND ELIDUC......Page 73
NARRATIVE ORGANIZATION AND RECIPROCITY IN THE LAIS......Page 85
TRIADIC NARRATIVE AND SPECULAR ENCOUNTER......Page 89
RECIPROCITY AND TRANSTEXTUAL DESIGN......Page 93
CHRETIEN DE TROYES: SPECULARITY AND CRISIS......Page 105
SPECULAR ENCOUNTERS IN LE BEL INCONNU......Page 121
SPECULAR ENCOUNTERS IN THE PROSE LANCELOT......Page 132
Chastoiement and Enfances......Page 133
Fictions of the father......Page 134
The name of the father......Page 136
Tombs......Page 137
Self-reflexivity and the relativization of heroic status......Page 141
Specular encounters in the love intrigue......Page 144
The specular encounter and cyclic organization......Page 146
3 From encounter to specular encounter in fictions of the courtly tryst......Page 153
THE MORNING AFTER IN LE CHEVALIER DE LA CHARRETE......Page 154
FLAGRANT DELIGHTS IN BEROUL'S TRISTAN......Page 158
FROM AFTERMATH TO TRYST IN THE OXFORD FOLIE TRISTAN......Page 164
SECRET SHARERS IN LA CHASTELAINE DE VERGI......Page 169
THE ANALYTIC SPECULAR ENCOUNTER IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE TRYST......Page 176
4 The specular encounter in fictions of lineage......Page 188
THE SPECULAR ENCOUNTER IN LA FILLE DU COMTE DE PONTIEU......Page 189
SPECULAR ENCOUNTERS IN JEAN D'ARRAS'S ROMAN DE MELUSINE......Page 199
THE IDENTITARY SPECULAR ENCOUNTER......Page 208
FAMILY ROMANCE......Page 214
"IN YOU, MORE THAN YOU"......Page 220
AFTERWORD The specular encounter in perspective......Page 223
REVELATIONS......Page 224
RECOGNITIONS......Page 227
Equitan......Page 238
Lanval......Page 239
Laüstic......Page 240
Chaitivel......Page 241
Eliduc......Page 242
INTRODUCTION......Page 243
1 THE SPECULAR ENCOUNTER IN FICTIONS OF RECIPROCITY: THE LAIS OF MARIE DE FRANCE......Page 250
2 THE SPECULAR ENCOUNTER IN ARTHURIAN ROMANCE......Page 263
3 FROM ENCOUNTER TO SPECULAR ENCOUNTER IN FICTIONS OF THE COURTLY TRYST......Page 273
4 THE SPECULAR ENCOUNTER IN FICTIONS OF LINEAGE......Page 280
AFTERWORD......Page 290
PRIMARY LITERATURE......Page 297
SECONDARY LITERATURE......Page 299
Index......Page 312
