Ostium (Mar 2019)
L’image de la France et de Paris dans les écrits de Paul Valéry (The image of France and Paris in Writings of Paul Valéry)
Abstract
Based on theoretical positions proposed by famous French imagologue and comparatist Daniel-Henri Pageaux, we will show in this work various images of France as Paul Valéry had described in his late essays of the 1920s and 1930s. After completing his poetic career, Valéry began to write works of circumstance on various current and universal topics of European culture and civilization. For this occasion we will refer to the collection Regards on the world today, especially the essays concerning France and its cosmopolitan capital. While following the method proposed by Pageaux, our aim will be to highlight the imagology aspects of France and Paris that Valéry portrays as well as his critical spirit, not deprived of narcissism and francocentric aristocracy.
