The Sexual Question in Proust

 

 

A Dissertation by

Griet Deca

University of Antwerp, Belgium

 

May 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acknowledgments

If Proust could not have written the Search without metaphors, as Genette suggests in “Metonomy in Proust,” I certainly could not have written this thesis without those whom I would like to thank here with all my heart. In first place, the “professional duo” of Professor F. Schuerewegen and Professor L. R. Schehr, respectively the supervisor and the second reader of this thesis. They helped me to “round the cape;” they did everything to prevent me from running aground on the reefs. They brought me aid and counsel. My parents are the other ports in the storm – though of a different sort – and they deserve far more than a few warm words. Lacking adequate words, I give them a big kiss full of love and gratitude for their unconditional support and encouragement. My grandmother also deserves a word. She never stopped celebrating my thesis, which encouraged me enormously. I wish to express my gratitude also to Sister Isfrieda, Madame J. Buys and Madame R. Hons, who inspired me during the entire period. Without them, I might not have attempted higher education. For faithful correction and critical commentary, I address an affectionate word to Sonia Abecassis and to Nicole Hanset. In last place – in the sense of “last but certainly not least” – I warmly embrace Kim Hilgert. Always there to support and encourage me, she appreciably lightened my work. In addition, she revised the whole thing, and I therefore owe an important part of the result to her. Thank you very much!

 

 

 

 

 

English translation by P. Cunningham

 

 

Table of Contents

0     Introduction

I      Homosexual love

1.0      Introduction

1.1      Homosexuality from the mythic point of view

1.2      Homosexuality from the scientific point of view

1.2.1   Ulrichs

1.2.2   Krafft-Ebing

1.2.3   Freud

1.3      Homosexuality from the historical point of view

1.3.1   Up to the 19^th century

1.3.1.1   In antiquity

1.3.1.2    From the Middle Ages to the 19^th century

1.3.2   At the beginning of the 20^th century

1.4      Homosexuality from the cultural point of view

1.4.1   Is it a natural or a cultural phenomenon?

1.4.2   Homosexual lifestyle: friendship in city life

1.4.3   How the sodomite becomes gay

1.5      Homosexuality from the literary point of view

1.5.1   Up to the 19^th century

1.5.1.1    In antiquity

1.5.1.2    From the Middle Ages to the 19^th century

II.    Homosexual love in the Search

2.1      The reception of the homosexual “theme”

Introduction

From Swann to Sodom and Gomorrah

2.1.1.1    Before the Prix Goncourt

2.1.1.2    After the Prix Goncourt

2.1.2   Preparation and appearance of Sodom and Gomorrah

2.1.3   Reactions to the posthumous volumes of the Search

2.3.4   In Search of Lost Time seen in its entirety

2.1.5   Conclusion

2.2      Sodom and Gomorrah

2.2.1   Sodom

2.2.1.1              General introduction: Sodom and Gomorrah I

2.2.1.1.1    Title, summary, epigraph

2.2.1.1.2    The theory of inversion

A.   Classification

a.    Types of homosexuality

b.    Types of homosexuals

B.    An outline on a dual basis

a.    Myth

b.    Science

C.    Metaphors in Sodom and Gomorrah I

a.    Botanical metaphors

b.    Other metaphors

D.    “In the English manner”

2.2.1.2    Metaphors for male inversion in the Search

2.2.1.2.1    The botanical metaphor

2.2.1.2.2    The animal/gastronomic metaphor

2.2.1.2.3    The linguistic metaphor

2.2.1.2.4    The pregnancy metaphor

2.2.1.2.5    The Jewish metaphor

2.2.1.3    Conclusion

2.2.2   Gomorrah

2.2.2.1    Description of Gomorrah in the Search

2.2.2.2    Gomorrah compared with Sodom

2.2.2.3    Transposition of the sexes

III.   Homosexual love in three scenes

3.0      Introduction

3.1      The three scenes

3.1.1   Montjouvain

3.1.1.1    Themes

3.1.1.1.1    Voyeurism

3.1.1.1.2    Sadism

3.1.1.1.3    Profanation

3.1.1.2    Marcel vis-à-vis homosexuality

3.1.2       The meeting between Charlus and Jupien

3.1.2.1   Theme: Voyeurism

3.1.2.2    Marcel vis-à-vis homosexuality

3.1.3    The flogging scene

3.1.3.1    Themes

3.1.3.1.1    Voyeurism

3.1.3.1.2    Sadism

3.1.3.1.3    Sadomasochism

3.1.3.2    After the flogging

3.1.3.3    Marcel vis-à-vis homosexuality

3.3      Conclusion

IV.   The homosexual characters of the Search

4.0      Introduction

4.1      The homosexual characters

4.1.1   Marcel

4.1.1.1    A problematic identity

4.1.1.2    A problematic sexuality

4.1.2   Baron Charlus

4.1.3   Charlie Morel

4.1.4   Albertine

4.1.5   Robert de Saint-Loup-en-Bray

4.1.6   Jupien

4.1.7   Madame de Vaugoubert

4.1.8   Monsieur de Vaugoubert

4.1.9   Mademoiselle Vinteuil

4.1.10 Charles Swann

4.1.11 Gilberte

4.1.12 Nissim Bernard

4.1.13 Others

4.2      Conclusion

V.    Conclusion

Bibliography

 

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