De L’Inventaire du planteur au Mousse et au Cabin boy : Réorientation et recadrage d’une histoire antiesclavagiste d’É. Souvestre en pièce de théâtre

Abstract

An abolitionist anecdote recounted by Harriet Martineau in Society in America gave rise to several literary works written between 1838 and 1846. Transformed into an antislavery tale by Souvestre (L’Inventaire du planteur), then changed into a comic opera by Saint-Georges and Monpou (Le Planteur) before becoming a comédie-vaudeville written by Souvestre (Le Mousse) and a drama by Stirling (The Cabin Boy), the story of a young woman who learns she is of African descent and considered a slave evolves according to generic norms and national, aesthetic and political contexts that are constantly changing. Study of the genetics of Souvestre’s and Stirling’s texts brings out the similarities and differences between them. More generally speaking, it also allows for reconsideration of the notion that literary history in exclusively national in character and for reexamination of our concept of artistic originality. Our analyses clearly stand to gain from investigations such as this.

Keywords

• slavery
• Theatrical genetics
• Souvestre (Émile)
• Le Mousse
• Cabin Boy