Alicia Montoya: "Le Faucon de Marie-Anne Barbier: un dialogue avec Boccace, Madame de Villedieu et La Fontaine"

Abstract:

In the present article, we examine Marie-Anne Barbier's use of her sources in her comedy Le Faucon (1719). By comparing it topically to its narrative sources — Boccaccio, Madame de Villedieu, and La Fontaine — we demonstrate that, far from being La Fontaine's «conte» «word for word», Le Faucon mixes and recombines its sources to create a new tale. After commenting on the main scene and the role of narrators and narratees in the four versions, we consider the female protagonist more closely. A widow or married woman in the three preceding versions, she becomes, in Barbier's version, an independent agent who subjects her wavering lover to a test (*METTRE_SENTIMENT_A_L'EPREUVE). We consider this topos an independent variation within a larger narrative scheme (sequence of topoi) including Boccacio's and La Fontaine's versions, in order to better account for the essential role of the female protagonist's autonomy.

AsK, jan 2011

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