Dialogue and Dialogism in the Novels of Crébillon-fils

Abstract

Conversation was highly relevant for the 17th and 18th century French aristocratic culture; a simple talk quickly grew into a “real” social ritual with its inner structure and “poetics.” Likewise, it influenced French literature that used a dialogue as a mode of narration, a way of expressing historical and philosophical ideas. Under the influence of the parlor culture, there developed a widespread genre of a novel-dialogue which origin may be traced back to the ancient tradition including the works of Plato who maintained ontological priority of the dialogue; in the dialogue, many philosophers have seen conditions necessary for the appearance of the individual and subjective conceptualization (“I” needs “You” for the sense of self). Dialogue is the form of narration in the novels by Crébillon-fils (1707–1777) La Nuit et le moment ou les matines de Cythère: dialogue (1755) and Le Hasard du coin du feu. Dialogue moral (1763). Both novels represent high society and focus mainly on the life of “libertines” who practice the principles of freedom of body and spirit yet at the same time are constrained by dominant behavior rules including the rules of conversation. Crébillon is skillfully using a widespread conversational form for popularizing the ideas of sensualism and libertinage. Also, Crébillon is employing dialogue as a device to make his works diverse and psychologically deep (cf.: a dialogue of a character with himself as he hovers between opinions; ongoing dialogue of the author with the reader; dialogue with other authors by direct and hidden quotes from their work; references to the author’s own works).

Keywords

• novel-dialogue
• Crébillon-fils
• dialogism
• diegesis
• libertinage
• Enlightenment