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THE EISENHOWFB IIBHAHY

3 1151 02677 4905

IIONORr. D]'; EALZAC

and

':IS FIOURES Of SPEECH

/. DISSERTATION

Presented to the board of Tniversity P, tudies of the Johns Mopkins

University in conforrity with tlie r^equireinent for the degree of

^octor of Philosophy,

June 191o

"arvin Pur ton

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—

inacc caailjility—04^

—

\7rv^

3- 3r^^rnr Jr o3 of /lancc won.ltj—

a

ot te a suriour. d i s a dva

n

tag^n. rx

prtJGont conc& p'tJr»n of the siib-j-e-et—is- . th^—pesul t of a ^radusl

e^feluti on,. of liir.i tg^rjr&rv along-certain line and extensions

Ârwr-^ ot.hp.r'K^

—

an < !-it ray b o stated an follows i to take a limited

nuir.ber of H&lzac'n Tiûres. and to fix as definitely as possible

their rel,ation to the man, to show how they derive from hip- and

how they, throw li/'ht on his complex nature, and, finally to

estiii.ate the literar^y value of the figures. ?i;.o I'.r.n forcad w is

4j0 -oir.it §, study of the literary sources of tlê fi;"uris; such a

, „ - ,^ - v.-oulf^ not pffc et

iur c OT'. (A'A'r. I'/ff n !'

;

—

i

r ss p .up]i c e- owr interest is centered, n(

study ''Vould b§ an intertstinf^ addition but i«-

!ot on

th.e artistic raniiulation of t}ie individual figurative conceptions,

which, are, in fact, rarely original with Palzac, but on the

general lines of "lis choice of conparisoris and or tiie. purpose for

v/yiic!". 'le rost frequently uses thcin. -\y r-^ '-•iii tp have not ±L&&a

rrr? definite ac I hr.. t;' lijii^d,—brrt I trust tl-'.at they ina^ at least

be sup;;"estive.

-s>* <^-V.^Jcr^.^Ci. "^~'>-xs>^Jv4\ -^^-^ ^'^ 3J>~e^^ .-o^

- ^-e—^tHE-'-t rs^fd4-[

%ji ^ ^-rosAA* 'T^ = ^-3 -»^J 0->Srb

.^viJ;-; j'":'Uj3 erf

"UKliir COi:?SNTS"'^

Face

Introduction 1

Table of fi,2:urfcs F

Chapter I. Topical anal^/sis of the table of fir;ures 9

Chapter II. rhetorical analysis of the fi^iiures "2

Ci-.apter IIT. Tauses that contributed to falzac's

Frequent ure of t'-e figure of speeci^ 42

Chapter I". '^ elation of Balzac's figures to h:is

ps3^ch.olop;y C9

Chapter V. Relation between Palzac's figures and his ideas 76

r>:ppter' '".

' e style of ?alzac jud;'^ed according to its p

effectiveness Gl

Conclusion /'?3

Pibliograp' 7 ; -^

Vita /I-

iNTRODUCTlOK

Tho f,i£;urQB ot sppeQh ^^s lOrdinaril:; classified ui.a analysou

are intereGtin^ and instructive , in the , siliudy of an author, Lut

sirjcs? t}~>ey. indi(j.^te the intenrelsvt ion and,

grouping of his variousi

concepts, their. sudy should r:;ive us a deepEE insi'^ht into his

psyclio.loc;.i^l'"^^w>-ta,iiW, . Sone such aiia -is necessary to justify =the

stu alzac's, figures, since, in contrast to tlôse of ''/ictor

"U30, they offer no speci?-! .interes^t in -^tiheir.^^lves ^_,their interest

corces fpon their relatipn -tQ ,the n4:nd thoiL created them.

It has been necesoary to linit the field of study to three

characteristic novels^ le Lvs dan s la valine. i\*X}-.Si^J[iS:BP-Ji^,.Z.^.V99^}

^rid ^JilllaiS-JlriiQ^jgJt!--. Also the llr-ures other than siirdle and

metaphor are î^sideôur purpose, as are all absolutely banal cor-

parlsons;' we" must' draw our conclusions "from those •.rhich indicate

that 'both" teriiis of ^ the ''comparison '//ere really preser ' ind

of t-;e author . created the' figure . The table presents the

classification of the figures and indicates Voth'terrrs o'f the^

corparison.

r '; T-?"r I TO- I

'

. . ; _"

cir^PTER II ^::etopica:

reneral Cw-.....îj '^.t- wh u;.^ , .^ a. j.- uj.'c;ci . . .c- 6o-v;i!. to

convey the inpression intenuo- >y_^ . o author.. Artistically

consic.ered tjieir. .rr.ain defects are:^ l/f^ I'retentiûsness, v.iiicii it.

ir.ost disagreable in the Ly:s^_jiajas_JL&_yftllê^v.here i ;, ]fpiUi^

frequently in^ pure verbiage, is a result partly .f ti.e effort

to nagnify, V-v. figures, are frequently 2/ not apt and at tires

absolutel:/ rfteaninsless . IrpropMaLy resulLr-; also fro: ?>/ &,>;-

ctissive rnterialism, a revolting conception as tj.t; basis of

a coir.x;arison. Or it nay be only ti • 4/ insists too

r.inutely on tti& materialistic conception .5/ Incoherence or

mixture of fi,'-ures. All t-iese defects rergt

'l-.&y reveal to u.:- iconceivecl notions of siir.ilari'/

and consequently an imperfect analysis of tl, similarities;

.:;veal also the lack of a critical faculty sue Ir

I '- -.

to distinruis between two figurative conceptions or between

a fifûrative and a literal conception.

CHApTSS III r^

' -3]- qI'

Preamble: r:eststement oi Li.e i.rul Liplicity and defects of the figures

"'he defects of the style as a whole correspond to the defects of

tT5e figures, (which fact îleh(^s greater importance to. pur study.

Three phases of the study :l/ Thy so m;any used? 2/ 'Tjiat explanation

can v;e find for their nature?- 3/, v/hat . is the i±pression on the

reader?. The -present- chapter deals with' the first ciuestion.

"he figures — especially t:,e great number in the Lvs dan s

IS-^-iîillJ^ --^ nay be partially explained as m.ere literary acornr

rents. ût the figure 01 sppech is also a very valuable and

efficient aid to expression. i'o ^ better. uncerfetandvPalzac' s use

of it as sucli, we must consider sozr.e of the problems that he faced.

The noriral' development of language among civilized peoples

is opposed to vividness of irpression; expressions that originall-

evoked an image of l/ic thing in question tend by continue 1 and

universal use to becor.e s-yrbols of abstracts concepts. In I ranee

owing to tl e limitation of t;.e v-^cabulary and of tiic usage of

tl e words admitted, t'-ic te^îut-ncy is not so adequr'tely counter-

9m ^ W»|^V%

br.lpncod .b-"- t's intr-ocJuctioii u-^ . i i .L i,i -.al r/.odt-s ol' expression.

Stich a lanûa^c is especially suited to the trarsnission of

abstract ideas, and the iiasterp4eces r '" '' • '' - '

ei?;l.teent}i cunturies -"' '-"ice are lar;_,ul^ ;, o ari.i.ti.ic ^ i't.;-:a.r.t,-

ation of , ak&tRacBt ' uj.unal concetti onr: . '^ -'' -- -ith

a pore creative {^cuiuK --Fabelais, ::oli"bro, .-

.

}'ave tak^n liberties- wi th thel"^ '

' -

sel '.^ " ddiun;,. ir.ore sui" .

'.

"

._ jKc, ^'^' oiio. ^.rofji-ct-

i.on. pi t .e illusipn of .liio,.^ ^....j.^. l ' s genius is ' '"

nature; \r \ ;]; i .. v.l; -', v^" ^' ^ -

rerr • ; -n

!/ o U..J ::. '. ^... V ^' •' sixtoiî: ill uorti/' . 13 iu^â on

A

t ^ prope;r ro^ . \ .. '

1 '" ' '

"

: 'ic stylo, Oj . Lc-ncL-^r;.].^ . ^ . _ / ,:-; : :-: r. : ,..r-;,,

olds tri-at., ever.

::.ctux;.i,

.'' -of tfhfeareadc; . ; rac. i: .' .'.i.s y^ ru^,]:

in<J.icaôb L'i.at '[his. can i. ..

s eecii.

and r-ovivi

repr<=&^^ o;^tl<,L ivi^âi. ov.

irr;a2in,a,t,i

Ti:fentX.,but

...IZiiC''

rep-

^• -icatio' ' llustrt-

Cauaissart .. . - is. an advaut; .^ oin^lc-iioss arid j.ence

.' &r in

rai.c.t©r J. ay is^^lii

'igg ui outio^n, o±' iii-ajinaLion for

OoSoI Vr^. tiOil,

yalzac 1,'- - iires to descri'

more intar. ' -_.?.

or lif- cscribv. .

oT , avj .

; especi

vvorkin,!' . _ '

' cr

externalri in c penetralfc; vvit>,in(( T, ne "; he r:iist

depend •:

''

ri^ures. "rt;sentin{^ Liic ' ' 1 in tt

fc^t. . \ only is the ineer i- an

a riroauct • :.ion Ibl, ' ' Ler

is cons true Ifesu -ire aits rotiier than observe. life.

The ideo conveyed by Lju-; firures is frequently very

result proh^'bly of the v' ' '.i'^.n.

It is true that there are certain ' pressec"

abstract^ and that S concrete comparison is an bk r. id to our undc;r-

stP.nc'in . • ^atfcst

c;-3ro. '.'he exsnili-s of Sttind'ial onci rlaubert e;-iOv, ., :..3o tl'iat thtrt

arfc otlier methods of derlct-l .: .

Z/ relation of Uie fi/ures ^ Mitude 'of :

general r-nterisli.. re;, is relatbi

realist' .on tMe

e.xternal a: ; , iritual is

express: . ' stance,' tends to aniir.ate anc

synboll

rison' is dangerous but

sur ' Lion to . ._

I I, -- ttitude towards

nature. Therr. '

i iffere?

charact --jalist;

ror.antic traits are superficial or ci-otional.

ID£A£ .

i/i-- i-i.'-.: ' .XL..; J i^:^ri;2<> 3ii-.&2:f:i!,L ' incitior

to j_)jr'U('.ucu 1 i jures oi' f_ eoui. is suggested in Palza.c'i; ;rLicle on

StsndhPl. ' 'Ic t-r "fri. -~- Wr"c '/o blending o£ '~ - ce^:ts is

usually i., -^ I'i^tu] .. ;:! • v,-;xc;ij. or syrholicai y ir liarities,

in of c:~ --:''- of jtr-cb^'i" """ of imp ' ' ',

' "' s o

continur.i i; b^^raction of itot; and f igurb^ . .. u; ]\g.„:'"':".;.s fusion.

The study of falzac's ii'^^ ''^ 1 be r&l£ted especial": ' Mit:-

Lyp. dans la va ll(^er. whicr, \z intimately associal- Liie

3ZtudeG philosoplil ques an(' ' have been spoil^c cy this

association,

TQiTe ideas or :alzac. :he iniluencu oi t,i e general prinri-

pc'l 01 the unity ol creation on the figures in grou; '. "re

specific forraulations of the general principal; tentt-ncy Lo

relate tlie spiritual to the iraterial is strengl- tened by his inter-

est in the occult sciences. .- fits oi' i>:it- fluiL'S, li^ht, end

physiological aspect of tho soul in Touis Lar.bfcrt. ":filzac v/as

thoroughly obsesse.d.-'by these conceptions even if he did not have

absolute faiti^. in them. Such conceptions seer.s to be due in

part to the fact that banal fi^ûres such as "un regard de feu"

take concrete shape i ' " Izac; at any rate they cause

"alzac's discussion of spiritual i.;-.enorena to t " le a treatise

on hydraulics, optics, or physiolo . ." . ior.. I ouis ^. ambjert..

âlzac was still obsessed b^' ti.ese coiiCi-ptions "lien he

wrote the Lys dans la valine , at are translated into his

figures. Typlanation of the frequent comparisons to flowers.

The effect frori; an artistic st;-

•

deplorsble- ' oetic

pretension is not in accord i '- l ._ lijûres; a potentially

poetic comparison is frequently spoiled by excessive minuteness.

"he reason is the clearness of Ba^ zac s ovm visualization.

Fxarri^ les in detailed comparisons to flowers.

!:alzac's attempt to reconcile his materialisn and spit?it-

ualism is probably justifia'

tandpoint, but the union

of tic t-.>o in the Lys' dans la vi^ll s^^'

.?sion of

somet'iing Balssir^ .

CHA^TLR VI T:T. SITLL 01 EAIZAC JV^P-IV' ACTCYm^'^r TO ITS •FFFE'CTIMErilSS

An attempt to explain tht. contradictory iirprossions ~iven

by the style of 7alzac. The ^.^sychology of the reader ûf^t by

taker into account, for tlit term style xJ^êsupiO 'ses a reader.

Jud;2;tn.ent must be largely personal but citations of the opinions

of others îve a brofiuor hasit lor c orirlusions

.

Spencer's theory that the best style is t';e one thf' t can

be urderstooc"; with the leas' effort v;ill hold for scientific

discussions; but an autlior w}:o cer.uts has to rival witJi nature

and translate into words all t'-mt he nees and. feels. . is main

dlfficultir cones fro: - ct tJiat the readers are content with

r ere wdrds ; a clear r-rapamatical style oi'fers ..no incentive for the

fonTTRtion and hence naybe.. tli'\e least .effectivBy. for when tr:e wordsh

pass frQiti-the--»wlf5d'i the (tdea^-jleft-.is only vague ^nd generalized.

Oratorical and rlictorical devices used to centre^ the j'ttention.

rhe.ir.sst^ effective are the sir.ile and metaphor with their infinite

possibilities .01 variation. '"Shey arrest the- atterition and

dfefinite concepts liave to be forr.ulated before" the- Eind can grasp

t'\e •reaninr; -afid'pa'ss:--on-.

ritations frorn '-alâc shov.-ing tha't'heireallzed the difficult,

I'heboldesf of • thi^Dpiohbc.. i. the irodern conception of style.

:'e' failed partialljr because lan/7;uai:;;e is a^ thlnp;-0f* c'onvention and

too ituch liberty woulc' pervert its prime function. 7et the

testir.ony of Caro_,fiM ' runctitre, and SalnteÊeuver shows, that he

gained his ends . Even- a certain confusion and'-'tncorrectiaess may

be of value in tglvlng 0. nX>Te %oâ;ct representation- '6f*. life, which

fg Itself ' turmoil and confusion; also being lêss conventional

they .îive us a rore palerson^ ai&l intijRKte relation wit", the- author.

"'oreover, a materialistic repiêsentatidh'- of life may strike us as

the real as opposed- to the ideal, for in our personal associationst

it Is 'l3r'*-'ely the ir.a'tfeîal^':side oi life tWat•we see;, and the syle

can best paint lif e- •^••1by^''takin;- on some of its qualities.

fl'ONffrFBIO?'

3uri^ ai f nee at the future.

IINTRODUCTION/

The figures of speech compose a- ve-ry interesting element of

any style in which they are frequently utilized. Thus there have

teen numerous studies of their use "by individual authors both an-

cient and raodern,l)ut the treatises are usually little more than

catalogues of the figures arranged according to the fields from

which the comparisons are drawn, such a presentation enaoies us

to iudge of the range of the iaiovaeage and interest of the author,

the exactness of his oiDservatiorijhis pov^rer of i;fiagination,and his

aesthetic sense of fitness as leading him to choose an apt compar-

ison and to express it in an attractive arid illuiiinating manner.

Such indications are Uoth ixit ore sting Qjft4 instructive/. out irtr

oms-t-^rtstt- -ve should be able to go deeper. The figure of speech}

presenting infinite possibilities of arbitrary variation, should

throw numerous sidelights on the most intimate phases of the au-

thor's personality, :ind from them we should be acle to derive some

generalized principles of figurative creation.

If>-aa- has beeBr-o#WH-&-tart»4^the style is the man, the

sar.ie should be said even more positively of the figures of speech^

an element of style in vmich the author is comparatively free fran

the i^estraint of convention ai'id into vvhich the rhythi:, of his

thought is translated freely ^and often unconsciousljl:. Bourget in

his essay on Stendhal says that "la premiere question a se poser

sur un auteur est celle-ci : quelles images resuscitent dans la

chambre noire de son cerveau quand il ferme les yeux? c'est I'ele-

ment premier de son talent. C'est son esprit m§iae. Le reste n'est

que la raise en cf&uvre." (1)

(1 ).-Essais d e psychologie contemporalne,I,T;.29^ .

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Bourget is not specifically r>^ferring to figures of speech, but

afflrns tnat tne Kind, of images — physical, intellectual, or eraotlon-

al — that arise give an accurate index to the character of the

mind; a statement <»mich we can accept if we do not atten.pt too

rigid an application. But the way in v;hich these images are asso-

ciated ^vith one another, the way in which they are paired off

should be still more instructive, we should be able to see what

taices 'aace in the author's mind \faen he wishes to descri'oe a

shalDT3.y parlor, a miser, a pure woman, or love in a young girl's

t)-êast. If there is no association of ideas, ^'e have a literal

description or account, out îf there is, that association, reflect-

ed in the simile or metaphor, represents a definite psj'choiogical

phenomenon.

v/ith this principle m mind we wish to study the siiffi-

les and metaphors of Balzac, for \?hom some such a method is nat-

ural and, in order to justify the study, even necessary, for his fig-

ures hive no particular interest in themselves, victor Hugo p^jLR-at-aî«« is an artist in imagery; one can picj<: up a dictionary of

his figures and read with pleasure, without Knowing the context

and without thinKing of the author, in the same way that you en-

joy a snatch of song from an opera. Balzac's art is not refined

to the point of being impersonal, of having a separate, seif-aa*^

Mficing existence; it is IndissoiulDly bound up with the man and

his suuject. He was guided by a happy instinct when he tried to

fuse his worK into a sin^:ie whole, for there are few other cases

where the author and his worK form such a composite uriit,aiid prob-

ably none where a single worK loses more of its distinctive char-

acter by being isolated. Tne sarae is true for the figures of

, i&::JC:

-de:

-ir:

c;'l QUI J

3

speech; tnelr r.iam interest oomea froir; their relation to the au-

thor. In studying the character of the figures, the maraiCr ana ]:ur

pose of their use, we gain an insight into certain phases of the

intellect :ind personality of the man; a process vrhich is readil.y

merged vath the reverse, that of ir.dioatmg how certain icie'is, char-

acteristics, infiriaities perhaps, of the raan are reflected in his

figures aUd henoe in his style. This 'will lead to some more sren-

eral discussion of certain qualities of style in tneir relation

to t;:e author and in their effect on the reaaer.

When vie recall tliat we are dealing v.-ith the author of

^^-^' Coi.:edie humaine » the protlem of limitation of the field at

once presents itself , for it v/ould ^vidontxy be oeyond the scope

of this iDrlef study to treat e^-en superficially all of talzac's

figures. I have chosen for special stuay the Scenes ae la vie

de j)rovince .^/vhich include eleven novels, j:ood. Dad, ai-.d indi:^fer-

ent. They are almost coextensive with the period of ^rirs literary

activity, and, >-hat is miuch more importaiit with an author who shows

so little Chronological development, they present striir.ing exajn^

pies of the most importaiit pha^^es of his genius. But for our

present purposes ive must have a r,iore minute study of thee figures

than it is practicat)ie to give to the whole of even this section;

and so the l-rger part of .this study will be concerned directly

with three novels. The Lvs dans la vallee gives us an excellent

example of the poetic xnid rom;.u\tic pha:^e of Balzac and contains

such a mass of figures that it is worthy of a separate treatment.

Th e irenage d'-jn gar con presents one of his famous monsters of

iniquity and illustrat.s^ wsj^the author's j:rateriali3m,v-hich de-

scends frequently to vulgarity and triviality. Eoth of these

Y.I.

oD

[•nil

IlKV. .u.

4

are powerful "orlrs aiid reveal Balzac us a conaoious and careful

workman. Tne third novel. Eugenie Srandet .ls a masterpiece in

which the two phases of his worK are fused, and ls_for, our purpo-

ses all the more interest Ing/in that it is -tho on«—in-^mi-efr he

has shovjn the,most self-restraint, Ift-^Th-teh he has chastened his

geniusyâ^' V7e may suppose that what we find m it represents a

serious purpose and is not the result of his haviîg given rem to

the fancies of the moment. Tîe conclusions tJi«b%- we draw from

these three novels can -theafi oe tested "oy comparison to Lina ex-

amples from the other novels, ji.ore especially those in the soenes

d e la vie Ae province .

Kv/e have also to limit tne aind of figures that we -vish

to stud.y. As has already "been indicated, vj-e use the term "figure"

in its most current acceptation, that is as r.ieanlng similes and

metaphors, or in other words an.y expressed or Implied comparison

hetv/een ohjects or acts which iDelong to different categories or

exist under different circumstances, if mi Inanimate opject or

a lower order of life is compared to man, we have a special form,

to '."Thich the natae personification has oeen given, ire other

rhetorical figures such as apostrophe, interrogation, and even

metonomy and synecdoche, are mere moaes of expression or lin-

guistic conveniences, Hypertole and antithesis do express a cer-

tain attitude of mind, and we find theji; frequently emipioyed Dy

BalZcT,c,hut the principle loacK of the creation of the individual

figures of either type is always the same and nothing could oe

gained by a detailed study :t-.e difference between two hyperbolas

'fbr instance is merely one of degree.

But figurative expression has become such a vital part

IT

5

of Vne language tyiat tnere are many comparisons, usually in the

form of rietaphorsjwnicn have ceased entirely to be felt as such

and h'lve tecorae the normal expression of the Idea. They are trais-

lated directl.y Into abstract concepts^ without evolilng any Image

of the thing originally suggested as an analogical explcination

of the otject under discussion. Jejter jin^re£ard,ujte_ dau^l^

proforide, 1 »inprelnte_jie milancholie sur une figure, ^pouser les

lnter§t5_de quelqu 'un evoKe no image of the literal i.oearilng of

.leter , profond, etc . ; they are Knovm as lead figiares and m their

study one approaches the domain of senarxtlcs. Their use indi-

cates no semblance of OEiginullty and hence they do not interest

us in the study of the individual style of an author. It is

sufficient to state hero that Balzac is exceedingly fond of fig-

urative expression', arid m addition to his original creations, one

finds in his Tvoric an unusually large number of these car.al fig-

ures. Ke shows an especial fondness aift? certain terms, such as

ieter . profond . fr old , and various others connected with the idea

in comb at . 1 1en » and drame . The value of these, if there be any,

consists m a possible added force of expression.' It is ofteni

difficult to decide 'rhether a certain expression represents a

personal Imprint of the .md of the author or whether he has

simply talcen it already coined from the v/ealth of contemporary

figurative language. In attei.;ptlng to deterrr.lne this I have made

extensive use of the modern i'rench dictionaries, but have relied

especially on the sixth edition of the Dictionnaire de I'AcadeLi e

7rancalse , which is ri^arer-vo- the aateiof the author'^ and which

gives a considerable number of figurative uses f-ei>-iiiii3 words.

've c-ui at least be sure that an expression from the pen of Balzac

when recognized ty this constirvative wnri:,aoe3 uot ixiaicate ar..y

original creation on his part, otner eluL.ei.ts must also be taK-

en Into account in our decisions. At tne base of tne figure of

speech tnere is tne idea of a coinparison bet-.'een tvvô objects.

Tne comparison .may be new or rare, but this is not necessary in

order that the figure h-ive a stylistic and psychological signifi-

cance. The ir,ost banal comparison may be revived and made real ty

a new form of expression, i'urther — arid this is more iraportant

for Salzac — a banal figure becorês significant ;vhen it is pro-

longed by carrying out tne domparison in detail, or -.-hen it is

used over and over again. Briefly then, we wiaH, to study those

expressions of Balzac m which words are used m other than their

usual relations, and in 'eilch, either on account of the infrequen-

cy of the b2jB.al idea, or of the insistence on it by a new niamier

of expression.by prolongation, or oy frequent repetition, it is ev-

ident that the concept of the thing under discussion is not alone

in the mind of the author, but that it is associated v;ith some-

thing else vmich he, sees and which. ]ie wlfh^s us to see on account

of certain suggestive sir.:ilarlties. It is evident that a banal

simile is less li]£ely to be excluded than .a,-<:^jrres'30iiîngly banal

metaphor, since the naming andêxpressed comparison of two objects

indicate that both objects vjere. in the. mind .of the author..

In order to form a2i4..pjresent any general conc.usiori', it

has ^ceen necessary to mai:e a very c:ireful classification of the

figures, the results of which are shoim m the table that follows .

The customary method of classif-îng figures of speech solely by

the second term or yi^fk source of the comparison is inadequate for

our purposes. According to this plaxi all com arlsons to the sky

7

are classed togetner whether the first term of the comparison hap-

pens to be a pigeon's wing, the eyes of a maiden, or a soniiata of

Beethoven. A comparison Is rithout meaning both stylistically

and psychologically unless /e take into consideration both terms

rmd compare their real relations with that indicated uy the fig-

ure of speech, a perfect table vvouid t^e blocked out like a check-

er-board v'ith the first terius of the comparisons listei. vertically

and the secon. terms horizontally; but so minute a classification

would be confusing and in part superfluous, i have modified this

method m accord with a grouping which^ after a study of the fig-

ures in these three novels, best adapted to giving to the reader a

comprehensive idea of the whole mass of figures, of their individ-

ual character, Olid of the. purpose for which they are used. All the

figures ars grouped under six general headings corresponding to

what Balzac wishes to aescribe; opposite each heading are ciassi-

fleVas minutely -is seemi3J rrofital^le the secorid terms of the

comparisons.

In the table I have included ..niy those figures used

by Balzac or by his spokesman F^llx de Vande/nesse; in this way

I eliminate a disturbing element resulting from Balzac's attempt,

to characterize his men and women by their modes of expression.

The flgurea used in dialogue win come in for their share of dis-

cussion in the course of the study.

?ii£q[ino;

as80 asTc

to '&TBr'

'

Bi iiGinesilc -Cf 10 0.

Table of Pigures

1 . 7nn to

II.looK(A)to material phenomajt,

volce(B^

fh. pl-mts

^^plri^VB. fluidsual

J' Ic. flai.ie

Ill^'plaa-

r.oiTiena 7"^. pnysiologicalphenomenamusic "•

F. otner water iai^enornena

Lys daiis

la valise

12 1^

'46

^'

(28

10 5

IV. ATastract relations and

conditions of manto

V. Acts to aots Oi siiail:ir

nature. , .

VI. f A. thingstilings to

Ti. _ lyingbeiji5:s

al =^^

19

41

31

^\

¥n menagelie garcon

3 5

26

11

d

1

2

Total '0.7'/

tf2 v\'

13

17

1-,

"il^ '

Eugenie [suflmiary

ara-idet

36

20

6

10

h

14

10

17

33

19 3

2ci3

>r^^

4^p

60

11

1\^

137

7a

1 3Q/+'

.xnsx^jL'a:!

':i

II

fe)90iCV

•w^

T opicoj. /uxaJ^ysi B. of tne Table of Fi...?ards

^, In tills group tne figures, :is expressed, tre-\t of man as a PAVS-

ical org;irilsin,lDUt tne intellectual arid spiritual sides are r.atu-

^âllj/- present in the nlnd of tne autnor and in iiar-y cases really

forn tne basis of tne comparison.

Group I»A/

Comparisons between numan beings are very frequent in Balzac;

ne describes tne acts or tne e/notions of a cnaracter by comparing

tnem to tne acts or eiAOtions in a person o^ different social sta-

tus or under different circumstances. In uiari^y cases, of course, p

the. similarity is so great tnat tne comparison could nardly be

called a figure of speecn,ana even tnose tnat I nave listed, wnicih

are usually expressed in tne forn of sii:-ales,iuignt be called v;itn

greater exactness analogies, in order to distingmsn tneiu from

those figures m vdicn tnere is r'lOre real iiaagdry. In tne Lvs

dans la val ine ',;e find t -enty seven f ig-ares based on differences

Of age, sex, and pnysioiogical condition, a^'iong wnicn tne most inte? -

esting are tne seventeen comparisons to cnildren : "alet nomme etait

devenu inquiet .coniTie 1' enfant qui- ne voit plus remuer le pauvre

Insecte qu'il tourmente" (p.^t>i); "â comtesse se leva par -on

mouvement d'in;patience,comiiie un enfant qui veut un jouet." (p.::rt>J.);

uio"Avec ce courage d'enfarit qui ne doute de rien^" ( p."S^j "AussitSt

,

comme.iin enfant qui, aescendu. dans un abime en jouarit,en cueillant

des fleursjvoit avec angoisse qu'il lui sera im-jossible ae remon-

ter,n 'aper-oit plus le sol nuiaain qu'a uiê distance infrancnissa-

ble,rie sent tout seul,a la nuit,et entend les nurlements sauvages,

10(bou.

Je comprla que nous ^tiona s^pares par tout un at)ln9/"( p.>^^),

Porty nine figures are basad ori'soclal,politlciaiecono2ilc,arid

racial distinctioriS, the soldier, the sovreigriând the slave offer-

ing th^./nost freqilaat I source of co:::parl3on : "Coiur.e I'enfarit ar-

rache par 'lapoleon aux tendres soins du logis,elle eut hatltue

se'3 pieds a iRarcher dai.s la boue et daii.s la neise,ac;coutuinf^ son

f-ônt aux bouletSjtoute sa personne a la passive obelssance du

soldat/' (p.^)^ "Araoelle voulut , ontrer son pouvolr coroiiie un sul-

tan qui, pour prouver son adresse. 3 'amuse a decoller ctes innocents"

(p.es^^)j, "Un contenteinent semblatile a celui de I'esclave qui

trompe son Kiaitre/"{ p.x^H^).

A very interesting feature ot this XiOvel lies m the

thirty seven figures in fhich religious terms- are used with ref-

erence to carxâl xfian, especially to express love between the tv;o

sexes and its effects. Madarae de Mo-ivtsauf is a saint, a martyr,

a nun : "La siiinte qui souffrait son lent' oar tyre a Clochegourde"

(p."r%>v); "Sereirie sur son bticher ae sainte et de niartyre"X ip.Ssi);

"Attendant toujoursuue nouvelie douleur,cofflrae les Liartyrs attend-

aient un rLOUvsau coup"(p.qs). There-.: are also specific Biblical ref-

eren'.'-.es, as ;"Couchê cormae si elie avait ete foudroyee par la

voix qui terrassa saint Paul"( p.-^f^ ). But ir.uch jaore frequent and

strlicing are the specific cor::parisons of the sensuous - if not

sensual - to the religious emotions; after catching the tears of

'.'adsuiie de Mortsauf in his hai.d ai.d drirJîng therii,Fîix sa^'^s to

her : ""^''olcl la premiere, la sainte communion de l 'amour. Oui,Je

vlens de participer a vos douieurs,de ri'unir a votre anie,cornne ,.

nous nous unissons au Christ en buvant sa divme substance" (j- .%,);

or "Elle qui avait tout laisse pour r:ioi,coiL.':ie rirx laisse tout pour

;(v'

'A,

timSiiih

.

IIS" 10

Dieu" (pS>siO;jr " Kile recevait nos aaorations oocbne un pr§trd

regolt i'lncena a la mesae"U'iS(.). In addition to tne rererences

to the Bible hientioned aDove,t}iere are eleven allusions tiiat may

be classed as figures under tnis heading. They are drawn from

classic, Italian, and French sources, v'ith one reference to Don Quix-

ote?, imd tney offer no special interestj'vlth, the. except ion perhaps

of the two comparisons of Ft^lix and, Madame de ilortsauf to petrach

aiid I aur a ( pp . liO., 1 6 3 )

.

In the other two novels the figures group themselves simi-

liirly exc;ept that tnere are praîîoally no references to relig-

ion. I a Un -in enage de âr con^compar i aon^ t o children, and,raorestriic-

ing still, eight to the sici:,aying,and aead : "ivaigre comme I'estJ33

une etique deux heures avant sa mort"( p.;^^ ); "Une fenme, verte333

coimiie une noyee ae aeux Jours'H p.î^). Fourteen have refer er.ce

to the professioxiS, 'Vith that of the soldier predominatiug : "ce

sang-froid de general en chef qui permet de conserver I'oeii

clair et 1' intelligence nette au milieu au tourbiiion des choses"

(p.9^); "M.Hochon. . .passa I'assiette a travers la table au jeune

peintre avec le silence et ie sang-froid d'un vieux soidat qui

se dit au commenceriient a'une oataille : 'jillons, aujourd'hui, je

puis etre tue' "(p."Si:^); "Le pere Houget... vint aacis la rue

prendre Flore ptu: la mainjCOirm.e un^ avare eiit fait pour son

tresor"( p.3i^^). There are five allusions of no special interest,

with the exception of t;vo referring to recent French history and

having a ^vexv. pretentious sound': 5 "Flore tomba sous la domina-

tion de cet honirrie,coffiiue la France etait tombee sous oelle de

3/6Fapoieon"( p.3<î); "En presence de oette agonie,le neveu restait

Impassible et froid couime ies diplomates,en l<:;li+,rend:int les

3/7 12

convuiLUons e la i'raiice li;iperlale"( p.:^:tji-).

In :bi'ug^nie Grandet there are six coniparisons to cnildren :

"J'eoou—ecoute,reponciit 'nuifiDleiiient le uuiihOMne en prenaiit la ma-

llcieuse contenance d'uxi enfaixt qui rit iriterieureiuent ae son

proresseur , tout an r.araissant lui preter la plus v^raiicie atten-303

tion"( p.l&^r-);, "Les yeux attacnes sur les louis,cor;uiie un enfant

aul,au moment ou 11 cOiij.ience a voirjcontemple stuplcLernent le iu^me <?

objet; et comma a un enfant, il lui ecliappa un sourire penible"( p.Vnfc^

"A la m^ ae ses ricne3se3,elle se mit a applauair en tattant

les mains , somrae un enfant force de perdre son trop-plein de joie

dans les na'ifs raouvements du corps"( p.r^). Eleven figures refer

to professions! as tne comparisons of the astute Graxiaet to aii as-

tronoiner( p.^) and to an alchemist (p.BSJ. More interesting here

are those that refer to particular situations, aiid which have usuat-

ly a pretentious "r:r±«^ : "L'attente d'une mort ignominieuse et

cpu'olique est moins horrihie peut-etre pour un (iondarnne que ne

I'etait pour Maaame Grai.det et 'r.our sa fille I'.ittente des evene-

msnts qui devaient terminer ce aejeuiier de f ar;iille"( p.li^t,);

"Certes.la parisienne qui, pour faciliter la fuite de son araaixt,

soutient de ses faiijles Pras une echelle de soie.ne montre plus

de courage que n'en deplo-'/ait Eu^^enie en remettaiit le sucre sur

la tatie"! p.^); "Liais a la verite,la vie des celetires soeurs

hongroises,attachee3 I'une a 1' autre par une erreur de la nature,

n'a''\alt pas ete t;1us intime que ne I'etait celle d'Eugeiiie et

de sa mere"! p.-»s2,)« In addition to the last quoted figure tnere

are eleven alius lons,noscb; of them of a rather pretentious nature,

Eugenie is compared to the Venus of iiilo,the Juriter of Phidias,

and three times to the Virgin Llary, Similarly the cruchots and

•13

the lie%* Grass Ins are the Vedici ..liu t,ne pazzi of Saumur.

In the comparisons betvreen human beings, tlien i we I'lnd.as we

naturally expect, that the professions play a considerable uart

.

But congidering the very small place that the child holds m the

Comedle hitnalne, we are a little surprised to n^te the insistence

on child life; the figures indicate tnat Balzac had observed

rather closely the good and "bad sides of child nature; and in ad-

dition to the e.vtended figures there is a still larger number of

cases in which enfant in or d 'eiif an t is used with a psychological- oT

connotion. It is interesting to note here that Balzac in his cof -

respondence is continually s'^'eaKing of his own nature as being

that of a child. ( 1

)

Group I>_,_B/

In vie-": of Balzac's frequent statement of the corres:'?ondence

between the human and animal species, we naturally looic >,irith in-

terest to see how this idea finds expression in the figures of

speech. ' We 'find that, though Balzac is fond of aiiiwalistic com-

parisons, he does not let his theory distort his sense of reality.

A single animal could not represent a single man, unless its char-

acter --^re greatly enlarged or that of the man simplified; much

less could an ariiraal represent a class or profession in huiaan so-

ciety. Thus, while one type of aiiimalistic comparisons usually

riominates for a character, others are reguliirly used to represent

his various physical or other traits.

In the Lys dans la valine the most stri'xing trait is the

frequent comparisons to birds, of which there are thirteen, nine

having refsrence to Maaime de ilortsauf . ii-^ese cowparisons concern

her mou^.'-ements : "Une f o:.i:ie'. . .sa posa rr^s ae r..ol T^ar un r ouvement

(1) Cf.Lettres a 1' fetrangfere .I .t:-d.189. ^li^. ^^7 etc .

JSOC

-1

-0<

,oie \Ff .^LF .Q?,L.aa.l. eie^i-iSiik'L £ eeiJJeJ .lo (I)

Ik

d'olseau qui s'abat sur son nia"( p."5r8^); luore frequently it la ner

voice : "La voix cle I'ange qui, par intervalles, s 'eievait coix/ie

un cnant .le rossigriol au uoment ou la piuie va cess3r"( p.-«a^ ); or

the comparison r.iay oe less external, luore inteilactuai( li ) : Madaiae

ae Mortsauf etait le Bengali transporte dans la froiae aurope,

tri8tement pose sur son t)a,ton,i;:uet et i;.ouraxit daiiS sa ca£<,e ou le

garde lun .iaturaliste"( p.2~5^). The other ooinparisons are rather

veil dlstri'outed over the animal icingdoni; the lion, tiger, vrolf,

rnonicey, dog, horsa, serpent aiid insect cure each representea oy two

or more figures, and iT.ost of them are applied to several of the

characters. Madariie ae Jiortsauf has "cette expression ne lionne

au desesr,oir"(p,2^) -.mile of Lady Dudley it is said that "sem-

blatle a la lioime qui a saisi dans sa gueule et rapôrt^ doj.s

son aiitre une proie.elle veiilait a ce lue rien ne troulDlat son

TDonheur,at ne gardait oomrr.e une conquSte insouraise"( p,Z>ik). The

most interesting, perhaps, and the most suggestible of character

are those referring to M.ae Mortsauf , whom Balzac hl.iiseif care to

consider the most striking character of the booKd ) : "Je fus Misi

patur'-^ a ce lion sans ongies et sans cririîere"! p.7^); "Ses ^êux

etlnceiarent comne ceux des tigres"( p.Tv); "Son visage ressemblai t

vaguement a celui d'un loup blanc qui a au sang au museau"lp.V>

cf.p.I^); "

(1) Lettres a I'Strangere .I.T). ^28

(2) I use the term "intellectual figure" to aenote one based on

an Intellectual-j^comparison as contrasted with a figure based

on purely external ;ind physical sirîiarities. xne teri/. ia

less liable to cause confusion than "logical".

iO acuflc

' 9J 9jiJt .eeu I (2)

"iBOiaoi

15

"Ces C;orte3 d'esprlts se heurtent volontiers aux ^fiidroits ou brllle

l-i lurnlere.ils .y retourneiit toujours en tiourdorinaxit sans rien

penetrer et fat'iguent I'^jiie coiiij.e les grosses mouones fatlguent

I'oreille en fredonnant le long aes vitre3"i, p2^ ); "Le cointe

avalt ete,ccni::.e les ruouclies par un jour de griinde cnaleur,plus pi-

quant, plus acert)e,plus cnari^jeant qu'a l'ordinalre"( p.i^^si,).

The aninalistic coi..p:iri3ons m Un menage de gar con are ;\reli

scattered over the animal l:ingdora,l)ut they have alii.03t always a

decidedly pejorative value. The tirds ire usually l:irds of prey,

c q:!:P ar

i

sons

»

i»ovf o vor >'vh

i

' ^Yt ar e no less flattering than :"Elle etalt

grasse corarne une grive apres lu vendahge"( p.\); or "Get ar;iOur :ua-

terneli ..t6'ut aussl n^cessaire aux comneriCemeht's de *l 'artiste que

les "solns .le la rioule a sespeti'ts ~ jusqu'a'''ce qu ' lis alent des

plunes"(p.^H.^. The effect produced seems to te that desired by

Balzac. Rouget appears as a hutterfly, and twice "each as a norse,

Sheep, and dog, and the impression oh us each time "is ahout the sare :

"Semhla'ole au papllion qui s'est'pris les pattes'-dans la cire fon-

dante d 'une tougie,P.ouget dlssipa rapidemeht^'ses dGrni^fes forces"

(p. 353); in the comparisons to dogs" the idea'of fidelity vvnich usual-

ly doi'ilnates with Jialzac, gives place to the idea of servility/ and

sutn.issiverxess : "Sur le paller Jean Jacques couch4 'coiiime un chien "

(p.3H^); "II guettalt les mouvements de cette creature comme uh

chien gjiette les moindres gestes de son maltre"*, p.t9^).

In Eugenie Grandet the iceynote of Grandet's cnaracter seems

to te expressed in the dou'ole figure : "FinaiiClereinent parla.it,

JT. Grxadet tenait du tlgre et du ton : 11 savait se coucher,se Dlot-

tlr, envlsager longtemps sa prole. sauter aessus; puis ii cuvralt la

^I

^.r ^

..^ V-,

("asrarl'T

gueule de sa tDourse,.y engloutissait une cn:irge d'ecu3,et se coucn-

alt tranquiliement,come ie serT:'int :iui aigere, l.Tipassit)le,froia'.

^ P.6'"

!n^tnodique"( p./). Tie iaea expressed m the figure rêrsists through

out the booic ivith reference to Graiidet. The tiger appears in two

otiêr Glmlles and to it moy t)e related five luetaphors such as :

"Le "beau marquisat de Froidfond fut alors convoy^ vers I'oeso-

phage de Ti,Grandet"( p.f%). Grû.det's cruelty, curuiingjaiid i.Tipas-

slveness,hls glance that frightens or chills recall the figure of

the serpent or the later one of tne irasillsi: (p.lt^). Eugenie is

referred to raost frequently as a Dird v.ith its light-hearted in-

nocenoe or its sad fate : "SemPlaDie a ces oiseau.^ victimes du

haut prix auquel on les met et qu'ils ignorant '•( pVw ), Madame Gran-

det has "une resignation d'insecte tourmente par des enfants"(p,'8^)A

and the same timid meekness is indicated ty four NDther figures :

Ijlche .i' ouett e. souris ,ar.d affieau * Lanon is compared five times to

a faithful, affectionate dog. Charles is described in the figures

in contrast to the natives of Sauicur; he appears as a giraffe — a

ouriosit.y - or "un colimaôn aaiiS une ruche, ou. . .un paon dans

quelque olDscure basse-cour de village"(p.'H(^).

Group I^_ C^

The comparison<iof man to the plant world have not the 1-ogi-

(TSbi significance of the comparisons to animals and they are rel-

atively infrequent m Un menafê de garcon and EUf-;enie Grar.aet .

where they are nearly all tased on ourv/ard appearance,usually coloij

-t

\7ith the exception of a few poetic figures m the la\\- revel :

"La DesGcigns avait pris les tons milrs d'une poimne de relnette da

Pafcques"(GM.p.Tk); "Une vague ressemblance avec ces fruits coton-

neux qui n'ont plus ni saveur nl sue" (^^'G.r.^^);

JifO-

;ai(.r;vi

,(^.q;"9c.

iiSLTi 891 no isupuj- xi'-.^ j>;£ri

. 889IIi[99ffl fiiiniJ 9fllB8 9X1? b£S£,

• i!i£^iS:§ £>^^^ » 8I1JJQ8 , 9 J^j9U0jU , Br^-O^id

- 9Jcnoj:J-09llB,,Xu^

ixosfiinxioo HIT"

v;Cf 91JJD8C!0 9JL.'f-

-igel 9.. :-;ifi 'jo^noQiiEqu.

f£Ol'

-fiojoo aJi.'iii 890 osvi: ej

17

"Cette phvpionornle cali2ie,coi ores, bordee d'une lueur coirjrie une 'olle

fleur eclose "(EC-.p.Ti.); "?i'o\e autcu.t qu'une fleur nee au fond

d»ur-e forSt est dellcate"(EG.p,7^).

In t'ne Lyg dans la vali ne tnere are twenty-two coir.parlsons

of woman to a flower, eighteen of them referring directly to Liad-

ame de T'ortsauf, A few refer to -external appearance only, as :

"La paleur verd^tre des fleurs d^ magri:lla quand eiies s'entrouv-

renf'Cp.jS^); ^^-^t they are usually more intellectual, and they pre-

sent 3j. elatorate deyelopr..ent of the idea expressed in the title;

of the novel; we see the flower under all conditions : "Le lys-*

"broye dans les /ouages d'une machine en acier poii"( p.3f±gl);

"Cette fleur, incessaranent fernee dans la froide atriospnere de son

menage, s'epanou it a ues regards «( p. g->2-); "Penchant la tSte comre

un lys trop charge ae plul||'(p."&^7&-); "Le lys de cette valiee ou

elle croissait pour le oiel en la reiiiplissant du parfuirx de ^es

vertus"(p.^SC); "La plupart de mes idees...sont nees 1^ comme les

parfums er-ianent des fleurs, ciais la verdoyait la plante incorjiue

qui jeta sur mon ame sa feconde poussiere"( p.^); "La renaissance

de TTadaJTie de ITortsauf fut naturelle coirjue les effets du iiois de

r.ai sur les prairies, comrne ceux du soleil sur les fleurs a'r'oatues"

(p.i8.S_). The other coi;.parisons are to pia^'its, trees or fruits :

"Ce corps aussi d^licat que I'est une plante venue en serre nalgre

les rigueurs d'un cllmat ^tranger"{ p.>§l); "Elle prenait I'attitude

d'un saule pleurer"( p.^); "Elle etait mortifie ccr;ii..e le fruit sur

lequel les meutrissures conuriencent a paraltre et qu'un ver inte-

rieur fait pre/aturement blondir"( p.t4ik).

\ 1

ti Bv;j

.,. .J

tl!/a" jd?^.:l)»J'xl91

;f-^«^ itJOTO-

•8fer

Si);

13

Group I, D/

T^.e comparisons to irianimate objects are more coimiionpiace;

they are tased usually on siiailarity of colGr,f orm,or qualities'

of re^iflttuice,arxd tney interest us especially as they differ in

the three novels, according to the choice of the object to vrhlch

man is compared. In the Lys daxxS la vail ee , the comparisons are

naturally used, for poetical effect and are frequently classic :

"La peau etait blanche '-tcjvx-.e une porcelaine eclair ee rar une lu-

mie-r*e"( p .>|>^5; -J^partageai^^ses cheveux en deux oai-ideaux sembla-

"bies aux ailes d'un cor'beau"( p.^Wi; "Apres avoir effieure le fra^

jasmin de ce peau et Jdu le lait de cette coupe pieine d'amour"( p."Mf^

In Un menag;e de jargon the comparisons are chosen rat.ier lUtr

the intention of producing disgust or an impression of strength :

AOh"Son teint .^ouleur de pain d' epice"( p.Jrs^); "Son cr^ne couleur

,.-,- -.:ii^-j

--: ir ;—loeurre frais"( 14^4;); "Les paupi^res ^talent corrmie les pellicules

' "'' 3 35

d'(5feuf "(po7o ); "Un tas de llnge et de vieilles robes les unes sur

les autresjtordees de boue a cause c'e la saison,tout cela monte33/

sur d-^s grosses jaifibes"( p .>^); "Les muscles ne tressaillirent r.as

rlus que s'ils eussent ete de t)ronze"(p.-^r3:;t ). "Blancs et imino-

hiles cor.'jie des statues de piatre"( p.5G^ ) forms a striKing con-

trast -'Tlth "aux jolis statuettes du moyen a.^:e"(LV.p.^ti^) or "les

statties aritique3"(LV.p.i^) m the Lys, a novel , vmich, however , does

not ^restrict itself entirely to poetic figures, v/e find such ex-

pressions OS :"Ces creux qui font ressembler la nuque ce oertaines

femr.es a des troncs d'arbre"( p."^). In addition to the contrast

betv;een the tvjo novels noted above; there are other features in

the Lvs that deserve mention; the frequent comparisons to vrory.s of

art,af Illustrated above, riXid to natural phenomena : sKy, cloud, etc^

_Iaj^ ^:A U 0^4

"Ce visage, serein cîiUfie uxx ceau oiel apres la teiu^Ste'H p.-3>?-).

In general the coniarlsons are not confined so strictly tc pure-

ly pnyslcal properties.

Eu,"enie grande t stands nalfway between tnese two extremes;

we find in it parallels for both types : "Leurs figures aussi fl^

tries que I'etaient leurs habits rSlp^s, aussi plissês que leurs

pantalons"( p>^); "Sa face trouee eoume une ecuiaolre"( p.îjg,);

"II restait inelDranlai:>le,S,pre at froid coiruue une pile de granit"

(i^); "Ses traits, les contours de sa tSte. . .resserfolaient aux

lignes d 'horizon si doucernent tranchles dans le Yilantain des lacs

tranquilles"(^..TQ^). T*i^ pejorative f igures, tnough not so brutal as

In Un menace de gargon , still predominate.

In general we may say that the comparisons to inarilmate ob-

jects are happy ai'id strlKlngjthat they produce the impression

which Balzac wished- to give. Even the poetic conparisons, while

not so original, are often very vreil chosen.

2 . Group Iiy

This group is in the nature of a transition betv/een Groupil and

Group Til. We are dealing with two physical attributes of luaxi^

-

speech and look — but both are considered here according to their

; oral significance, as expressing the soul of the actor or as af-

fecting those about him.

In the Lvs dans,

la vallee the look is represented twenty

times a^s a light or flame: "Je sentais en moi-mShie ce regard, ii

m'avait Inondi^ de lumlere"( p.'rN);"De ses veux sortaient deux ra^'-

ons qui versaient la vie a cette paui're faible creature"( p.iir^.

c. ^

In

K.^

(-^

190.

In three figures tne looy. is, as it 'ere,persori.ii''ied oy 8u"D8tl-^.;i-

tlng it for tne imagination : "Mon regard se regalalt en gllssant

sur la telle parleuse,il pressait sa taille,Gaisait seo pleas",/.

(p.3tk). The rest are more material e^^pressions.

In Un menage de ârcon there are six coLiparisons to flanie,«>

While four give the impression of soiaething hard and i;.ei,alic:

"Un regard de pi omt " ( p .~3î.) or "Les teintes de 1 'acier"( p.-&&4*-).

The five coriparisons to flawe m Euêxiie Grru'tde t de not express

the Idea so baldly : 'fLa cl arete magique de ses yeux ou sclntll-

lalent de jeunes pensees d ' amour "( p .-t^^

.

Group II2?'/

Speech is expressed in the Lys dans la vallee four times as

light and eight times as a fluid: "Sa volx qui penetra mon Sme

et la remplit comrue un rayon de soleil remplit et dore le cachot

d'un prlsonnier"(p,>ik); "Q,uand J'eus suti le choc de oe torrent

qui charria mille terreurs en mon ame " ( p .144. ) , Ten figures repre-

sent the speech as somiething that wounds : "Tous ces mots etaient

des cours de poignard froid'ement donnes aux endroits le? plus

sensl'bles"( p.2trf~); "LeS^ dards^ envenime de ses paroles "( p. 3i§J.

Other types are represented by the follovang examples :( music) -

"Un son 6e volx nouveau,comme si 1> instrument etUt perdu plusieurs

cordes,et que les autres se fussent d^tendus"(p."2-i*i^.); (sounds in

nature) — "/yjfaisait ressembler ses phrases a des fiots LiQiûs,

Eurmures par lamer sur un sable fin"(p.l3^); (materiaJL objects)

— "La r^laisonterie frangaise est une centelle avec laquelle602.

les femmes savent er;oellir la joie qu'elles cionnent " ( p .ir9^

.

Un manage de garcon contains one comparison to flai:ie,the

rest being to something of more solid texture - cariiiOii-Lâll,

'=i.wIPf?9^

;n^V '^- C^j

;fV

[^]20

arrow, xi'ixi^^y - together witli sucH expresoions as ; "...avalent

accouoxie Ce la rdronse siiiv:iiite"( p.?^). Eur.enie Grange

t

contalBS

two oonparlsons to music; tne rest are luaterlallatic though not

brutally so,ro3sessing in fact little originality : "Le flux de

jTiOts ou il noyait 3a pensee"( F*"*^); "Ces mots retentirent cans le

coeur 'le la pauvre fille et y reserent de tout leur T.oids"( p,-^*^.

.3. Group__I.II.

This group has to do with the spiritual ph.enoiiiena within a

mar. ' s treast ,his er.ot ions ,der>ires,passions > thoughts , etc

.

Group I I I,Ay

The comparisons to plants forms one of the raost striding

features of the Lys dans la vallee . rhis conception crops out

persistently throughout the lD00ic,and the following examples viriii

Illustrate some of the " <ried conditions under which Balzac sees

the flowers. "Des tourments sulois en silence par les îries dont

les racines tendres encore ne rencontrent que de durs oailloux

dans le sol domestique,dQnt les premieres frondaisons sont de-

chirees par des mains haiueuses,dont les fieurs sont atteintes

par la gelee au moment ou elles s •ouvrent"( p.\); "'la virilite -qa

qui coussait tardivement ses rar.ieaux verts"(p.T^: "Esrêrarices

cultlfees sans fruitjJ, incessar.ii.ient replantees et deracinees"( p,3fe-Q.)j

"S'il y aâit en son coeur des endroits frlables ou je pu^sse at-.

tacher ouelques rameaux d'aff ection'Up.'itfv); " //^remueront au fona

de votre coeur les roses en touton que la pudeur y ecrase"( p.s^^ );

"II respir;^ dans cet'ê vallee les enivraiites odeurs d'une espd-

ranee f leurle"( p.b^); "L'Sjê reorunie"[in the autumnj^.i*^;

"Ainsi des orages de plus en plus troubles et charges de graviers

deracinalent par leurs vagues apres les esperances les plus

^^5^

i>Sr-

.o'oia, 8i'""'

Jji.

profondenent plantees dans son coeur"( p."^^^); "L'ouragari de i'ln-

fidellte sentlaole a ces crues de la Loire qui ensablent d Jairi-

als ur.e terre,,ivait T:asse sur son Irne en faisant un desert la ou•6-73

verdoyait d'opulentes prairies"( p.^^^); Sucn coniparison8,vmicn

differ only in inode of expression from i.-iany of those listed un-

der Group I, C, appear only sporadically m tlie otner two novels.

The comparisons to fluids in tne Lvs d;i:.s la vallee may be

divided Ui:to three general classes, according to whether the con-

ception is that of a fluid within the soul, a fluid in which the

soul TDathes,or a fluid m the more gei.eral sense, including elec-

tricity aiid effluvia. "Les sentiments courent tou.iours vifs dans

ces ruisseaux creuses qui retiennent les eaux,les purlf ient.re-

fraichissent le c6iur et fertilisent la vie"( p./A/^ ); Ablings en ces

reveries orageuses pendant lesquelles les pensees gonflent le

sein,ojilinent le front, viennent par vagues, jaillissent ecur.euses"

(p.l&T-); "Mon frere nine seir^blait avoir acsorte le peu d.r materni-

te qu'elle avait au coeur"( p.t^^; ".'otre puissance s ' echappe

toute entiere sans aliment .comne le sang par une clessure In-

connue. La sensitilite coule a torrent3"( p .444; "Oceaii d 'amour

ou qui n'a pas nage Ignore toujours quelque chose de la poesle

des sens"( p.-2^); "Une de ces Qouceurs ^Inf iuies qui sont a I'a.^ne

ce qu'est un bain pour le corps fatiguee; I'Sjiie est alors refral-

chle 3ur toutes ses surfaces, caressee ciaiis ses pj.is les plus pro-

fo]nd^s"(p.±iiO; "Des fense'es trempees de melancholie tojab^rent

sur non coeur comiae une pluie fine et grise eiabru/ie un joiis

pays apr^s quelque beau leOer de sol ell" (p.-^); "Hasaenbler dins

I'air les effiuves ae cette jli'.e " ( p .*^)

.

22

We find fne same type or figures in Eiyênle Grandet in s;>me-

what less pretentious forin : "La compassion, excitê par le rnal-

heur de ceiul quelle air..e , a ' epancne d-ins le corps entier d'une

fej.une " ( p rtr4-J ; "Charles^ne put-li se soustralre a 1' influence des

stsntlments qui se dirlgeaient vers lui en l'lnondant,rour ainsi

dlre"(p.?rK); "La- pauvre fiile,qui s 'abaruloiiiia aeilcieuseirient au

couront de I'ari-.cur; eiie saisit sa fincite coirae un nageur sal-

sit la tirancne de saule pour se tirer du fleuve et se reposer sur

la rlve"( p.t>i<); "L'airiG a tesoin d'atsGrter les sei.ti:;.ent d'une

autre i,T.e "( p .:24:^ )

.

Group III,C.

Tne following exarriples illustrate the cor.parisons to flajiie

o

or light in the Lvs dans la vallee : "La cj^nstante e/iiarxatlon de

son air.e sur les siens,cette es?ence nourrlssante epandue a "'lots

comri.e le soiell ernet sa luirlere"( r.T?Sv); "iiie me ret^ra la lu-(oOb

mla^-G q-i depuis six ans brillait sur r:.a yie"( p.-^fts.); "le.deslr

serDBnta dans:ft«a. -"-elnes coinrie le signal d'un feu de ,iole"( p.4i9.)

"En retour de ma chair laissee en lasnPeaux dans son ccTeur.elle

rce versait o.es lueurs de ce divin aniour "(p.s^)i "Flusleurs pen-

sees B'eleverent en rnoi comne des lueurs"( p.?f^

The figures in the other noxêls are of a siriiar nature, all

teljig r:ore or less happy reworkings of Lhe fay.illiar conception of

lo\'-e, hate, pain, Knowledge, etc. , as ligjit or fire. "s| figure...

parut s'eclairoir aux rayons d'une pensee" (MG.p.-i^); "Atteinte

par un dernier rayon de maternite"(nG.p.i£jL); "'tille pense'es con-

fuses nalssent dariS son Snie et y croissent a ir.esure que croissalentSilpCfi

au dehors les rayons du soleil"(EG.p.-6^); "x)ans la pure et rAOnotone

•J w^.

^^^Vq)

'v -V^-^

23

vie das- Jrjuiiee filies,!! vlent uneheure delicieuae ou le soiell

leur ejiaricHe ses ra.yoxi8 clans 1 'aEia"( EG.p.crfe-)

Tne pnyslologlcal expressions m tne novels full i.ito two

elapsfife. In tne Lys dans le vallee forty-Jkivo^ figures show a

confusion between moral and physical conjTitlons of man; the ac-

count of the. goul experiences of the twomain characters frequent-

ly re^semTDles a text-hool: of physiology': "Une' 'grai.de quant it e de

fibres douleureuses qui ODligeaient a T.rendre tant de precautions'^00 -. ,.:

,

pour ne le point iDlesser"(p.&?sj ); "Ell^. viQiliJ.altidu\pDlvre,cW. plr-

peiitiijiour la pS,ture de son coeur"( p.2%H; "Saignant,mais ayaiit ruis

•; 5r^>A .cai . ,nc ;. ',

un appareil sur ses clessures"( p.-^îiS-); "IXn coeur ulcere... les af-

feet ions entachees d'egoisme"(p.t^^<iO. The conception that is i:u-

plied i^? the ahove figures - that is, of the soul as a living phys-''^•j;

-:t. ;:; / ' vn cT * -

''ical organise — is definitely expressed in thirt,y-six figures :

the ideif of physical life is impressed, on us more forcibly mthese last ,'Decause the soul is represeiit'ed' as being ratr.er ac-

tl-"-e thaii p-j.ssive arid appears usually as a man, but occasionally

as a bird or aniir.al :"Le corps succombe sous les etreintes de

l'Q:..e"( ]. .iiQ ); "A].:our horriblement .ingrat,q.ui rit sur les cadavras

de ceux qu'il tue"(P^2>2); "I.l s'eveillait en rxOi aes idês qui

glissaient ooroTue cies fant6i:ies"( p. tr^jj; "Cue les maladies morales

soient Oee creatures qui ont leurs appetitiî leurs ln3tinats,et

veulent augnienter I'espace de leur empire coiame un proprii^taira

veut aug!;ienter son dojaaine"( pS^l); "Un visage o'h les ailes du pl4i

-

sir 'i"aient seme leur pousslere diapree"( p.->Oii-); "Elle.si respectee

par le rlai3ir,3Ui ne I'avait jar,.ais enlacee de ses enpôurdissarits

^plis"(:;.3^).

x-^'

c^ci\~c^

.N:i*

2^

The saire two divisions appear In Kiigenle (?randKgnt , "Mala

a son Insn l»lgolsrae ml avalt ete Inocnle, Les genres 1e I'e-

conomle politique a 1 'usage dn pari slen, latent en son coenr.ne

(leva lent pas tarder a y fieurir'^poit^^^-;. "?ent-etre la profor.de

passion d']?'igenle devrait-elle ^tre analysee 'lans ses fltrllles

les plus dellcates; oar elle devlnt .dlralent qnelq-iies rsilleMrs,

nne ;naladle"(p.te^; "Flever a la "brochette 1 'avarice de son

herltiere"(p,'2^; "File avaft' concu l'amorir''(p,i^.

A grât many of the figures In (rroup IT contain the same

conception as those of this class. If a loolc or a word acts llTce

a dagger It mist have a physical organism on which to act, Ent

any figure of speech if carried to its logical conclusion would

necessitate a figurative interpretation of all related phenomena;

It irrist "be classified, then, according to the dominant idea, we

miist decide what phase of the su"bject the attention of the author

was centred upon when he created the figure, and in the above

mentioned figures Balzac is evidently trying at that particular

moment to represent the look and the speech.

]

The comparisons to msislc in Eîgenie Grandetiponslst m-erely

in the use of the musical terms ere s.cen d,o ( p ><flj and rlntprj^riô^

^

(p,')S^),the effect being rather comical. From the Jjvs dan s. Mvallee the following are typical :"1 'interrogation hrisque falte

a son coeur.un co".p donne pour savolr s'il reaonne a I'unisson*

(p.^S^50; "I-es gradations ,. .de la muslque appllquees au concert de

nos voluptes"(p.-S^).

Group JTl,F,

In this class are all the concrete expressionôf the innere.

man vrhlch do not come under any of the headings above. The soure

of the comparison rar-ges from Jewels .Tirnlt'ire, and weapons cf

41 s

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25

defence to geometry ami natural phenomena,

Tn the Ly s dans^la j"'_allee, we find nineteen fignres refer-

ring to variOLis Kinds of cloth, thirteen to natural phenomena

and there are thirteen v/hich treat of the heart as a place :

"La cortesse m'enveloppait dans les nourricieres protections,

dans les "blanches draperies d'nn aironr tout maternel''(p.~?l^;

"Lenr indifference, engendre^par les deceptions dTi passe, grossle

des epaves limoneuses qii'iren raiRenent"(p,'>94; "File entre(L -r,

dans les dernlers replls de mon coenr.iin tachat d'y appllquer

le sien"(p.t5^o Other typical exarcples are : "A I'epoq-'ie de la/

vie on, Chez les antres hoimres.les asperities se fondent et les

angles s'eiT!0Ussent"(p.-g40i; "Mon amour, pris dans la religion

comrre une image d 'argent dans dii cristal"(p„]tei44; "L'avenlr se

nie'ablfe"dieBperances"(p,~^tf?M; "Elle onvre et ferine son 006*11 r avecf (oil

la facilite d »-une mec&nique anglalse"(p,5i^.

The figures in the other novels are of a yr^ry sirrilar nature:

"Afin d'enveiopper le coeur de cette pauvre mere dans un linceul

hrode d • illusions "(MG.p,"^6^; "Le grain d'or que sa irere lul

a^'alt jete au co'eur.s 'etait etendu dans la fillere parlslenne"

(|5G.p.x4i.); "Grandet avait ohserve les variations atmosrheriqnes

des creanciers«(EG.p.iyT?i,

i|. Group TV,

The figures in this group consist in the representation of

a state or act ^WhTCh "Is purely moral or i^-hich hd^ m.oral signifi-

cance, in terms of a corresponding physical circumstance or act.

We are still dealing with spiritual phenomena hut the point of

view is more external. Also the second term of the comipariscn

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93 tin9-"'BM« irii6l.-7)"I.£.talT-) rjft snBfi insîB*b s^B^nl snir snuioo

oevv, -tt'Boo noB enTrsl .to etvfro 9ira:«« ;j(^?VBfr.q)"890fiBt9,qcri!»t>^*itfij9m

.(0-f^. T)"©8-tBlî' sr-iiiiiiosm. 9nr/' E) 9;tili06't bI

9Ti'.tBn TJSliTfls yT9v B "io 9TB 8l9vofi terf.to 9rt.t ni aeTi'si'i 9rfT

If'SorrJ:! ni^ anBt; 9t9ii 9Tvr'BJ 9:t^9o 9^/1^900 9l T9qgoXS'^n9*6 nil^"

Li'l 91-91! .BB 9j:'p fo't nlBfji 91" ; (,0^^ ,q. -OM ) " 3nol afÎ li ' f' sôtcf

»9r[n9l8it£0r 9T9lin £l enBh rrjjrf9.'t9 .tlB.te' 8,'tf.r900 r'B 9.tei, .tiSTG

89r^plT9f<X80rr[.?B BHOi .iRjtTGV 39l 9VT:92cro .tiB'^S .t9finETr)" ; (-i£^. OT. Of

)

Tt^f . q. •"»:« ) " s'T9ioriB'^'T9 39J!)

.VT q/'OT?) .-1^

lo nolJ-sJn9a£tqsT 9rtJ nl J-sianoo qLôts alrtJ ni a9tffan 9xiT

-ilirrgis Ibtott s^M ffal-rfw to iCTOTt yXsTirT al rfoirf^ Job to 9JB.t3 b

.J-oe TO 9onB.t8inrfciTin iBoIovrlq a^^ Itnoq 3 9rftoo b lo arns^t fiJ:,sonBO

lo iTloq 9/1^ iuci Bn9Tfon9.iq iBU.n-Xxia dilvr ^nB9l.' IIlJs 9T£ 9W

noaltsqcfioo e:^.i lo :t\i3* tmooes srii obIK .IbhtsoXS 9to.ti bI W9iv

26

comes nearer "being j)nrelj synTbol leal, and t^e figures when de^-el-

oped take on somewnat the appearance of a parable.

Rati'.er tnan ir.aKe a separate group, I place here the few fig-

ures dealing with pure abstracts. As a rile the abstract quali-

ty Is expressed In concrete terirs only when It Is related to a

human being, In which case It really represents a moral state.

In tfte Lys, dans la valle_e about half of the figures are the

development of the conception of life as a journey, with the two

details of ab'lme atld desert*standlng out prominently: "A ra'a^^ancer

jusqu'au bord dea precipices, a sonder le gouffre du roal.a en in-

terroger le fond, en sentlr le frdJld.et me retlrer tout em"(p.i-9L4^ '

"Apres etre descendu dans I'ablme d»ou elle put voir encore le

ciel''(p.''^fQ; "Je soupconnal un malheur comme lorsqu»en m.archant

s^r les voutes d 'une cave les pleds en ont en quelque sort la coft

cclence de la profondeur^Cp."^); "Get Imjrense m.alheur deroulant 9

ses savanes eplneuses a chaque dlfflculte vaincue»(p.MO; Dans

ce grand naufrage,4'apercevalB une lie ou Je pouvals aborder"(pi;^-H9^

"Voyez par quelles voles nous avons irarche I'un vers l»autre;

quel almant nous a dlrlges sur 1 'ocean 'les eaux ameres.vers la

source d'eau douce, coulant au pleds des monts sur un sable pall-

lete entre deux rives vertes et fleurles"(p,^^^; "Cette pensee/ N ' f f

m»eleva soudaln a des hauteurs etherees. Je me retrouval dans le

ciel dea mes anclens songes"{po>t^); *Elle avalt hablte comme un

palais sombre en cralgnant d'entrer en de somptuaux appartem.ent8^

ou brlllalent des lumleVes"(p.l^^; "Je foullle oe monceau 'ie ces -

dres et prends plalslr a les etaler devant vous^Cp.^f?*?); "Les' ^

.' 630

et^ndards ie la mort (jnl flottalent sur cette creatnre"(p.l5aO.

-Isvefc nsrfw ns-rv-^n srf.t JbnB.lBoilocrniys ylstr/g sniscf tsfcsn asmoo

.sldBiGq £ to scnBtBsqqB srf^ iisrfwsmoa no s?{x;J tsq-o

-il£srp Jo.'3'T..J3cfR 9ff^ slf^t B bA .3:toBi.t3crB STjq ff.tlw gnJIijeT astrr

6 o.t B9;tBl9T a.t il. nsriw yino aTne.iT e.tsfonoo c.t fcseaetxxs si yj-

,siBJ8 iBTOii B attneQeTq-st yllB&t .JJt saso rfolriw nJi.iysIstf njsinirrf

erfJ' 9-tF eettrsn srfJ lo "ilBri J'nocTB oeXlBv b.I aniBi)^ .8V.4 94:f nl

ovv-^ 9rf.t rt.tlw.ysrrffoi, a gs f^lil T:o noi;JTeonoo 9rf:J lo .tr.^nvjoleveb

i9onB"'"B'!ii A» :yI.tr[9rtl.Tio'Tq .trro 3nifnx-."?3jT:s89h Bfi-fi STiljJB lo 3IIB.J9D

-nt rf9 B.Ism vf) 9tlltros 91 *t9bnoa B.êDixioetiT Bsfi fctoo' iJB' x^pait't.

' -(îW.q")"'"''' tr-o^f T9Ti.tST 9'Tt ^"9 , £ IdJTT't 9l Ti:?n93 rf^-.ftnol si Tf-Ô-Xt^*

91 STOone Tôv .tt'^ 9ll9 uo* f) smidB* L BriB.^ frI)^90B9^ 9T.t6 astqA"

.trvBrfoTBm nsM'psToI grnmoo *fr'9rfXe!n nr tRnnooquoe e^," ;(-^.q)»l9io

fCOO Bl Jt03 SfrpIS.fp .TS .tffO rtS 3f59lq 391 9VB0 BnU* b seifO"^ Hf'I tr'S

e .tnBlr'0t9r) Tr9rilB."a 9an9m3il JeO'» ;(syF,q)^t(.'Sbno"tO'r^ si 9ft scnoioa

erfBCI ;(-R??^.q)"9rror;lB'"' 9Ît'onil^ 9C'pBrfo b 89STf9nicf9 s9nBVB3 a9s

.q)"f9t"rccfe alBvtfOT 9t. ^'O 9ll 9nif at£'''90'f9qB*4,9SBt'if'Bn J^hbtj^ 90

;si;trrB'I s-ro"^^ nf^'I 9r<ctBTt anovB airon 39I0V 39ll9C'p tBCf s9yoV"

BL 8T9-',8STST!B Xtri59 39^- nB900*I *ff*a B9^.tflfc B BirOn .tflB^lB ISf'p

-IlBT 9ld"B8 nv ty;3 ainom 39£) 3t9l'7 cb :tnBl r'-oo.90('of; i.rB9't sotcos

99an9q 9.t.t90" ;(^^'.:j)^nst'xr^Lt .ts 89iT9v a9viT xreD eT.tne 9.J9X

9l 3^B^ iBvr'OT.tg'r er. 9X .a99T9r(J9 stvît^sn BSb b nlBtiro-'^ sv^le*:!!

nt' 9-ftaToo gJMBrf iic-^rs 9JI'?" i(ff',g)"89sno8 aneionB ae.^t asb Lsto

Bino'-nBiisqqB xvm':tq'iioe 9^ ns T9Tin9'fc ;tnBnsi.Gto ns STCfmoe alBlBq

- «95 9f rrB9on;oin 90 9lJJ:rro'! 9T," [l.9^^J. .q)^ sens imÎ 895 ;tn9lBlIlTcf tror* 1 ,—\ >Soj

a9J" .•(9'?F.cr"t''8rov ^nBV9f: T:sfR.t9 391 b TieiBig 8t)n9tqr cfs se-rTi

27

Similarly for Un irena^e de garcori} "Flore eprouvalt la sensa-

tlOTK<3 'un- fercire tomtee au fond a 'une precipice, elle ne voyalt q^re

tenetireg dans son averir,et snr ces tene"bres se desslnaient,

comiTie dans nv lointaln profond,des choses monstrenses.lndistlncte-

ment apercue et. qni I'epouvantaient . File sentalt le frold hu-3/6 '^:>;

irlde des souterrains"(p.352.); /I'^'useralt pas si prompteraent son

capital d 'existence "(p. 1^9-); "Cette enfant qn'il decrassalt"

(p.]t?i.); "ftu'il jouat,par pitle.la comedie d'^ine tendresse

qnelconque''(p.545,); "Repugnances pour le vase amer de la science*

The figures in Faaenie Grande

t

present the sare types : "la

femme . . . reste face a face avec le chagrin dont rlen ne la dis-

trait, elle descend Jnsqn'an fond de I'ahime qn'il a ouvert.le5 3^

ir.esiire ,et uouvent le comlDle de ses vdenx et de ses lanres"(p.!tfCi ;

"A quitter ses pensees tristes,a s'elancer avec elle dans- les

champs de I'esyerance et de l'avenlr,ou elle aiirait a s'engager

avec lni"(p,-iri^).

The figures in this class are the result of a very common

process of figurative creat iofl; and^ the^ analogiesuhetween spir-

ltu.al experiences^^d ^hloh-nalgao-aQyo.'^Dhyslcal ex-oeriences,-^

have in most cases "become stereotyped, and It Is rrore difficult

to arrive at real originality lay reworking the ideas. With

Balzac a pretentious expression of these "banal conceptions often

produces a ludicrous ^rrock-herolc impression.

5. Group V.

This group includes the comparison "between two acts,usually

purely physical, but always "belonging to the same sphere: that 1b

T2

-.esnse rA J-iG-"-|ro'tTS stol'il" no ot i:;.^^, sfc p:^£rt9,Tt nU tol xL'xslt'Hl^.

, .trffinntsGPf) sa setrfsne^ 390 ire .t?»4'Ti:ae^''ii noa snsf".' sf:»t':f9ne.+

-9.tonl J8lf:nl,593fef .tsnom sPBOrfo Qof.Jbno'JoTa- nli^cfnlol -;rr ann^ smioo

-{jr[ blo'rJ Pi itr:inse sLii .^n.BtBinsvfoqe^L icp .te 9rcrf"&Tc Jne.Ti

no3 .tn9me.tq[.TiOTq Is e^q SiBi'^p.r*v,i» (ic^^'.cr)"8r.i£fT:9>tuos aef. sMn

".tiJGBSBfosfi Xivtrp ^n£;'ins 9.t.t90" ;(>SI.q')»9on9.taixe«t> Lsitiso

9r;8eTftne>t snt^Vb 9Jt.f'9.noo &l,9tiiq 'x£qîBVOt. Xi'rrp" ;(.CT.t.g)

"9crrelo3 bI sfr ibsib ear.-"- 9[ trroT 8ecr(jj!5 7în-e/i» ;( '^^y.'T)''9rpnoDX9rp

,nl" : R^tTv.i 9--tBs erfJ Jn f- ti e -^ j J 9L:(£t n 9 1 neîif^ r:l, :.;.-T[oit e.^T

-aJL*-' si 9rr nelt :^no^' niti^Brfo <=>I oeiî; 90Bt b 90.6'r 9:f3et ... sn-TTe*!

91 ,.1*1 9Vfro £ Il'frp SiTllrfs'I 9'' DnOt t'fi' rfpBfft. I)n9089j^ 9ll9 , .tIJ5T.J

fO-r-r. t'i t'^:.cTT'<-Bl 898 9fc .te XfÔV 398 St 9lcf.Tl00 9l .1l^^V'^\)0 t* , 9-T irb'9'fr

:.;:• 1 Z.:i£^b SLL^- OPVX; TSOHBIO' S J3, 3f^.t8lT.? 8e9an9:T 298 T6.1.tlr'p A"

i:ss£§n9'8 £ ,lfc-ftli; all-^ fro,T ^ns'/B* I 9£ J''^' 9DnB'T9T29'I gf' aqniBrfo

nommoo v;'T9v £ lo Jlrrasf srf,t et£ aselo etrii ni 5e-it'an 9rfT

-Tt.TB n99w,t9(t«.a9JtaaiBni> Gf!:J fine ;nolJ£9'to 9vl.t£f rrvi't 7o eêootg

^ a9or^9i'! 9o-x<=' .l£0l8yrfq(',R«!!Srt*"O«aifcsS--rfs-M'w, bn£-39oneit9qx9 l£rJl

JIiLroilllfj STOTf el :ti fjrf£,£>9cn^t09T9.tB 9mor)ecr a9eBo .teen ni 9-"-Br!:

rfJl^'f .8G9fjI BUJ ^ntAlO-'-S't. ycf yi'liBllISl-TO iBSt :tB SVl'TTB 0.J

rtf4>no r;o:-w .t-c.'îoo iBfTBcT esGilcf lo nolsp.stqxs Bf.roI.fnsJsTq b obsLsFL

.nolsaotqni oloteM-Xo jti, atrofc ifnrl b sftortotq

.V qr/Ofx'^ .?

YllB'f-'at'.aJoB ov;,t nf'ew.tgo' noal'TBq-îoo 9ffJ' asfcirloal qt.fOTjj airlT

8 J; JBlJ :9'T9.'^q8 S'TiBS 9rt.t o.t ;^J:srtol9tf 3YBWIB .tcô^ iBOi Byrfq YlST.uq

2H

physical Is compared td rHysioal and Intellectnal to Intellect-

ual. The figures are too diversified to ê classified, and their

creation Indicates no great originality. The professions sen'-e

most freqiiently as source for the comparisons, In particular dra-

ma,war, finance, and law.

"Crlminelles selon le Jurlspradence des grands aires"(p.-5^'

pfi)\ "Crimes de le8e-amour"(LV.p.5Ol,0; "Mot qui n'etalt pas encoee

monnayewdV.p.Ô; "Cette veuve, dont le deull f'lt orne de quelque

galanterle8"'lW^.-p^0-); "lis sem.hlalt ae designer le dessert

comme le champ cie batallle"(MGop.Yi^); "Dans trols Jours devalent

coFxencer une terriiDie action, ur.e tragedle lôurgeolse sans' poi-

son, nl pcignard,nl sang repandu; .tals relatlvement aux acteurs

plus cruelle que tous les drames accomplls dans I'illustre fa-

mine des Atrldes"(ErT.p.irB<); "Fndlmanches Jusqu»aux ''ents"(FrT.30/

p^lrSrg-); "L'assemlDlee se remue en masse et fit un quart de conver -

slon vers le feu"(Frr.p.ft7.. ); -En tenant Jusqu'au dernier sQuplr

les r^nes de ses millions "(Erj.p.-?^); "Tous les Instniments ara-

tolres dont se sert un Jeune olsif pour labourer la \?le»(FG.p.^~*f^;

"La vine entlere le mit pour ainsi dire hors la lol.se souvlnt

de ses trahlsons.de ses duretes.et 1 •excbmmunl^"(Fi.p.lr944.

We find here also the tendancy to render the Idea more concrete

and definite, either by Introducing more of the element of phys-

ical force or by substituting a specific act for a^- habit or plan

of action.

6, Group,VI.

In the Lys dans la vallee there are fifteen comparisons be-

tween objects of a very similar nature: natural objects to natural

^5

tlsrf.t firi£i, {19 iii^^Bf; 1 9-^ o.? ftoilinTevlft ooJ e-'fi sstrrgil sriT . l£.fr

-Btf tf;IffOt.tTST nf ,8no8itKT,Tioo srf.t tol sctfos 26 Yl^ner'r&i t .tao'ti

. ,WRI r'ns.sanBnn.'tJsn' Brr;

930on9 BBT ;tiB.t9«n Ir^p J-oM" jClc^f .a.VvI^^tr/O'Tus-sfjfiX sfc BeiAiiO" ;( .VJ

9rrpl9tfp f^r 9mo ctr'i xItp.^ 9l .tnoh , s^rrt^v 9,t:feO» ;C-^.'T. ViI)"sv5r[noT[-- '-^-eicv,

'"

•

.tt9S59& el Tsngis'^f:' so ;tlBlcf.'ne8 rIT" ;C^??ig.5M "aelT^lriBlBig

,t^?^lJ3vf;^ grrof, eiot^ ^nBa" .'((^r. T.^''.i)"9lIl£;.tBcf 9f- q:.nsffo si Sinnoo

-ioq" sniBs gslosstforc e.f'frgBt.t s rrr'-, no i.?OB 9lcri'^T'"!.l ertf Teone.ninoo

8i.rf^.1"0B XHB JneiTEevi^BlsT 8lB"o. ; i'iirrBqet 3nc3 in.ttjsrsjiioci .t.-r.rros

~Bt sfiQi'lLt' L ansb allgnioooB as-iretll) 391 ar'O.t st^p sriefno sflqf

''^ -1

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Tlqj.'oa •t9l,Tr'^>f- ifB't'pat'i, insnei n:^r« ;( \:^r4^.q.-nf )"):f&1 si 3tsv nola

-XJtB gâsi!rn-,t3nl ??9l ar/oT''' ; ( IQ'?. a.-"?)"BnoiIIlT[ 393 sfc eî^.et afÎ

;C^'.q.?''7)*Q-t'^ JBl tSTron'F.I itot Halo snr'et, rrr- :tTf;3 93 tnol -is-iio^

^ri'/jroa ss.lol bI stor^ 9t1& l-3nl£ -rcq .tint el g-rolJne glli-"- bJ"

.(-X"r. ;,'"'") "Pinr-rnmooxB' I ^9,8').tsiT<-fr 398 9!j, 3no3l;iB'r:r ji'<ri &&

9.t9'ronoo STC^. B9&J: "^rf-t TSt-nf^t o.t yonBftfsJ' ©rtt obIb £i9'l J^nl:! 9W

-syrfq lo Jns-nslg 9r{.t lo eton sfTôrffto-^.trii vcT t9r^.J '9,9:J'JrJt9j:;. firrB

nBlq 10 .tlcTeri hb tol -tos oJ:'!rio9.;{3 b snl.tn.tLtscrr's yrf to 90'':o'> Lsoi

.noLtOB lo

.TV "O'tO ,()

~'='rf srtoaitBqnroo n99.tli"l: s-'b 9T9r(.t e^-iiBv bI anBt) svJ 9i.t nT

Ictf^BfT o^ 3J-09t.':i'o iB-tf-tBH roTF.tBfi TBil'iils yr'.'v i3 lo ajoof.oio neew.?

29

olDjectB and mann factored objects to manufactured! •• La riviere

ftit conaiie nn sentler sîr lequel nous vollon8"(p.15!4fr^; "L9 plule

Incessante du pollen, beau nuage qui paplllote dans 1 •alr"(p.i^?4^;

"Ces resldus de pore sautes dans î^gralse^ et qui ressenblent a

des tr'jffes cultes"(prN. Here I have placed also one comparison

betxreen animals: L 'hi

r

ondel le du desert jhorse I- /p.^g^?-). A castle

is compared once to a flower(p.^3sL; t.he rest of the comparisons

are of natural objects to the creationôf human arts - irnjsic,

poetry, -jewelry, cloth, architecture: "Ce poeme de fleurs lumlneuses

qui bcurdonnent incessamment ses melodies au coenr*(p,l^^; "Les

.^1tremblements de la lune dans les pierreries de la riviere»(p

"Ces Jolla Jours qui ressem.blent k des soiries peintes" ^ffect

of light and shadow] - (p . r©f-)l; "Une longâe allee de foret semblable

a quelque nef de cathedrale,ou les arbres sont des plliers,ou les

branches forment les arceaux de la voute,au bout de laquelle une

clalriere lointaine aux Jours melangees d 'ombres ou nuances par

les teintes rouges du couchant poind a travers les feulHes et

montre comore les vitraux colorles d 'un choeur plein d'oiseaux

qui chant ent"(p,T?34.

In Un menage de garconthe comparisons are between objects of

very similar external appearance for the purpose of more accurate

description. The effect is usually pejorative: "Un chapeau...

decoupe comme une feuiiie de chou sur laquelle auraient êcu plu-

sleura chenilles... Sa mechante veste ressem.blait a un morceau de

tapl8serie'«(p,^^44; "II n'abandonnalt son col de satin qu'au mo-

ment o^ 11 ressemblait a. la b$urre"(7fi); "Le boullll dlsseque par

M.Hochon en tranches semblables a des semelles d 'escarp ins" (p. ?S-3)^

"R'lisseaux qui, , .ressercblent a des pjbans d 'argent au milieu d 'une

95

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iBq; 9r'p988if; llllcforf gJ" ;( 5.T')"9'n:f'9cr bI b liBlcrm9889T II co .Ine.'n

rÊ^.T;)"8nla[*i.noe9' t) a9ll9.'n'^'3 39?5 b 39l':fBlcfn93 89.-fon£TJ ns nortcoH.?.!

nr.-r,t f- r-e,^^^-r, r-p +rf f ;•< r; • ^ grrf-rffr-f 8f^^ B .ta9lcfni98 8ST , . . I rf p XJ'.c:9Ba I ff'

"

ax-4-**H^e- rolse verte"(p.l^5^. The figures In TMgenle arande t renem-

"ble ratner those of Un rre nage de giarcon ; their effect Is frequent-

ly comical rather than really descriptive: "Sa vial lie irontre...

qui res3eir"blalt a un valssean,hollan!lals«(prT9vf; "Les l^^ilt ir.arches

A....etaierit dls.lolntes et ensereiies sons de hantes plantes ccniTRe

le tomlieau d'nn chevalier enterre par sa venve an temps des crol-

sades''(p.t<?l);"Un t»ncher on le TdoIs etalt range avec antant d'ex-

actltnde qne penvent l»etre les llvres d'nn bllDllot*iSf'te»(p.>>74.

The figures in this gronp, especially those that have no poet-

ical pretention, are nsnally well chosen. They give a rather def-

inite picture of the ol)ject In qnestlon and also suggest the im-

pression that the anthor wishes ns to receive from the olsject it-

self and from the person with whom the oDject is associated.

Group VI,B/

Under this heading I have included all personifications and

all animation of inanimate o^bjects.

The Lys dans la vallee centals two comparisons of Inanimate

objects to animals, one personification of a part of the "body, two

of insects, and five of "bnildings: "La note unique du rossignol

des eaux " ( p ,7r^) ; "Les moulins. , .dcnnalent une volx a cette vallee

freml8sante"(p.s^). There are fourteen personifications of natnise:

"Une iDniyere fleurie.converte des diamants de l«i rosee qui la

/ j"

trempe.et dans laqnelle se .ioue le solelljlmmensltee pared pour un

seul regard qui s*y Jette a propo8"(p.t9^-); "Des tonffes "blanches..

-Yagije image des formes souhaltees.ronlees comjr.e celles d 'une es-

clave 50umlse"(p.lS^. Seven figures present flowers as represent-

ing the thoughts adn em.otion8 of man: "Ce prollxe torrent d 'amour "

|bcuquetj# /p.r?4); "Ces tlges tourmentees ccmroe les deslrs entor-

.tU.),tillees an fond de 1 •ame"(p.T8^), with a great many of these last

-fnsRst J 9f)nfiT0 Qtnsy^ff^ rA ssTf^ll srfT .j(-f^X,q)«9.rT9v srfOT -»fw*-|y

-.tHSfrpstl ai ôstls tlertJ ; nooTiy-i eh s:^Bn9Ti_rTU to saortJ tsi^Mci: filrf

•', -. ('•,

eerfOTB.Ti .tirrrf gsjw ;(,p^.g)»aiBt'rfC.[Ior{.trB985i£:v ntr B îjBlcfinsee^T 1 rrp

-lo'[0 Bftf B'TTisJ ri-jB 9%'rrp\' B3 iBg stfsJns T9il£sv9rio ntf'J!) xrBPonio.t si

-X9'f) ^nJB^.UB,09VB SgnKT .tIfi.tS aiOCT si rO tSr'OtrCf mr»;( R'I.,G-)«39£i£8

»CT<y.or)»etFprsr<,toIItflcr n"' b astvll ssl 9T.t9«I J-nsvt.rsq srrp frf)r-,n:roe

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-.tJt .Jo9t,cfo 9ri:.t r:\OTl svisoî o.t srr esrtsi'v lOrtJrri; 9r(,t .tBrf^t nolB39tq

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31

twenty one flgnres.lt is hard to lecile whether thev "belong here

or in groups I and III; for instance the last seven all have to

do with the houqêts hy which Felix expresses his lo^ê to Madame

de Mortsanf .where in the figures of speech he is siirply retransla-

ting the flower^langnage into the original, we are in', fact deal-

ing v/ith a secret code rather than with figurative creation. Con-

sidering the nuinher of corrparisons of women and passions to flow-

ers.tiiis reverse process of the personification is, however,very

natural. The two concepts have "beccire alirost identical and either

may Xie substituted for the other.

The personifications in the other two novels are, as a whole,

decidedly commonplace. Tn un menage de garcon the effect is usual-

ly comical. In F'jgenie Grandet six personify tv>e house and fur-

niture: *Ce terne allalt avoir vingt et un ans.il attelgnait a"

sa m^jorite"(?!G,p,-T^; "L'insulte faite a 1 'opposition constltu-

tionelle et au liheralisrce dans la personne du sacro-saint Jour-

nal"(Ma,Dot^*^); "Fn lf506-hien des parol sses en France etaiert en-

core veuves "( MG. p. IT5-); "La maison Grandet reprlt sa phvslonomle

pour tout le ffionde"(FG«p.Vêi^); "Les murs epais presentaient leur

chemise verte"(EG,p.i^*?^; "Un marteau lul . , .frappait sur la tete

griniacante d«un rraitre clou"(FG.p,isO; "Le hrult que chaque

feullle produisait dans cette cour sonore en se letnchant de son

raireau donnait une reporBe aux secretes interrogations le la

Jeune f ille"(EG.p.'iS^. Real personification, then, plays an alrrost

negllg^hle part in Palzac»s prcf'ise description of inanimate

ohjects.

0^ 9""^'^' '.'n nsvea .tad Si1.t eonrJaal tot ;TII br.B I sgrot:,^ nJ. to

sitiBftB;.: .•' o'a;I sir; gssaefgxs xtlel noirf-^ y.'J" a^sr-pr.'O'^ srf* n'Jiw oC

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-woll o^'snolGseg Lff£ nsfnow To 3jnoBlT.6qTioo lo TStf.Trrrn erfj aîtsMs

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't5rf;ti9 f.nJB XBOJt:fnPf:i .tô'^lK s-nnoscf 9V£rf sJcreonoo 0'v.t eiiT .iiyiuisn

.T'=""^.tO OflT -fJl fc9Î'.t [^3Cff'8 9Ci' y.B'Jl

, 9lOff«r B •=;6,Pts 8l9'rorf o'v.t torf.to 9rf.t at anoi JB0iT:Jtn0ST9qr 9.-!'T

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-Ttf^ f'rfB earfc^ 9-~f:f yllrroaTeT xla )_BbnDtx} Qin s^^tf^ n:T .Leolnvon yl

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;^. ..I ^.

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9rTBrfo 9r'p Jlc^tcf 9..T" ;(>f. q.'^'T)" r^DXD stJ'lBTr nv* t sJrfBOBifilTj^

noD '^fc ;Jrf£ffonJ9^ 93 a9 9Tonos icôo g.'^tgo anfifc JiBslirfio-r;! 9llir«l

bX 9^: QnoliBô-i:ê:tnl a9-JsT0sa >:i/b sano'qfi-r env ilBcinoh rB&nBt

Jao 'IB ns 3yBXg,n9rf.t,nol.teoninost9.T Ib9F .(.^.g.P'i!)"9XIl'i srtrgt.

e.fBnlisrfi "Yo rr;- -.+ r^'roo'?f• sst'ÔTfJ aÔBSlB^ rrl J'TB^ slrjfi'^l X:sj9f«;

Chapter II 3^

RHTi^TORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FIGURES

Sufficient examples stre given in the ahove analysis to stig-

gest the main characteristics of the figures of Balzac. In the

first place the comparisons result from Intellectually concelv-

ed rather than external similarities; there are corparatlvely

few figures "based on form and color, and even fewer in which

these two properties alone dictate the choice of the comparison.

There is a strong ulterior motive in such comparisons as that of

a man's face to a sKimmer, fresh hutter.or a wrinkled garment, and

in the expressions of external similarities "between man and ani-

m»als. On the whole^m.ost frequent effect of the figures is to give

Metaphors naturally predominate, "being a more norm.al form of

concrete expre^ssion to a"bstract conceptions, d^ ^<tôa-U o^

'SJLJL\ t.<Q^ T7jVYTXa«(

expression; there is, however, a considera"ble proportion of formal

similes, frequently developed along Virgllian lines, A slr^le com-

parison is often prolonged hy a series of similes- and metaphors

and repeated time after tim.e throughout the boo"k,so that, in spite

of the great num"ber of figures, tê num"ber of o'bjects fl»6m' whlcji

they are drawn is really not |)ar$-lcularly large.

As we have already indicated, there is an intimate relation '&'

"between the type of figures and the Character of the novel; in

other words Palzac renders the figures of speech an efficient au»

lllary in the presentation of Ms dom-inatlng ideas. If ê except

the greater part of the poetical figures, we find that, though the

rest may shock our aesthetic sense, they gi^'ê a strikinglyivitlid

impression of the character or o"bject in question. T^ls Is espe^-"

^lally trie in groups I, A, P, and Dl group V^ând ^roup VI, A where

er(^ rtl .OBSlJsa: lo 39^-^:u-.tt erf.t "Jo aol.tsl-reJojBTBrto hIbti srfJ cfasg

-vlsonoo YllBrJ-oslIs.tni Tiotl ^'If'sst snoal'TBgrnoo sri.t eoGlcr ^htH

rfotTtw~nl tewsT: nsvs t5ns,*roloo RriB TiTOt no JbesBcf astr'^n vrel

.no^lTBqmoo S'^'.t to solorfo scii 9.t.EJoit snoI.s ssl.rt9q;o'Tq ow^ s&9rfJ

lo ?Brf;t SB BnoaitBq.TTOD rfora ^1 svi.tom TOiieJIi; snot « a .£ al stsriT

ftnB , .tffsniTB§ J!)SlXnl'xw b TO.tsôt'rf rfseTl ,T9Jimi:j{3 b o,J 90g1 3'ni;.Tt b

-IfTB fcriB nBT, n9e"w,t9r)' asMlTBllmla iB/ns.Jxs to anol-jssiqjce 9't.t nl

9vl,^ o^ si. 'ss'^r-î.t srf.t "to :fDBtlB Snej'pe'xl Jaon^slon^ srf.t no .aiB;n

if-^^"^^ - .A< ,,8nol^q9onoo ^toîJacfB o^ noiâsTqxs ©.tstpnoo

10 iitol XB"!non s-TO.T! B anlscf.sJ-snlinofcSTq y.IlBttKtBn aTOriqrBleM

iB.TiTol to nol.ttoÔTq slcfBtsSlsnoo B,'r9'^re'»rci,3l: pfsrit ;noici89''"qxe

-ROD BlriTits A. .aenll nBil tr^tiv ^nolB r)9qol9V9J:. y.I.tnSFpS'tl.aPlirUa

aT0ffqB^9r!i f'>nB ssliinia lo asitga b vcf Jb93noIO'TT r{9;J1o si noaJtBq

9;tlq8 nl,:f.Grf.t oa.ioocf grf.t Jrrorfar/otrf.t 9.Til.t 't9j'iB a.TiJt.t t&jBeqe*T tns

xtofrtw-.a<£i*<1' e:to9t,tfo lo tscf.iij'n 9'^.t,af;r:'Îl lo tgJTftrn ;tB9'ta 9ri.t "lo

.9:4rBl ylTBltfoiiJliBiJ ôn yIIbst si rnvBtf) 9tb verf.t

£f noLtBl9-T eJ-Bml.tnl hb si f>'<-9ff,t,J!)e.?6oifir(i yfissTlB ev£:r{ 9'S' rM

nl ;l9'''or( srf.t lo ts.tOGTXirfi) 9r(J fcnB 8e-xrp_,it lo ev^J 9rf.t n69'''/'-9cf

KrrB .trjsiofTls fiR rf099qs lo e9Ttr§H '^rii aiefirrsT ob.'Îb'^ efj'foy/ tS'-fô

:fq90X9 9-" IT .SB9M Sfî^Bfii3io.t) aJtrf lo no i.tBj-n 98 Stq '^rf.t nl v-rîll

erf.t rtafor(.t,^Brf.t br't": 9"-,'j9-i ['iSill LBOlieoj 9rf.t "io *teq i:9Jbst3 9,*^.:?

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9T9r!^^ 4, IV qtroT^ JbftBj."^V qi'OTS ta JSne.T./l.I aqtrofs nl Sf^.t xLLstO

33

the figures closely follow conventional lines. Pît even where th*

figures seem to convey clearly the i':5ea of Balzac, the Impression

left "by them is not altogether pleasing; and their analysis from

a rhetorical and aesthetic point of view reveals more to 'blame

than to praise.

Prohatily the m.ost general fault is related to the tendency

to exaggeration which finds expression in various elements of

Balzac's novels: the characters, "banK accounts, hyperboles ând

"bT^gd generalizations. There is much color heightening hy means €

of figures o This Is not necessarily a defect, for a certain amoutit

of exaggeration can he Justified artistlcai-ly in any phase of lit-

erary creation; as to how much can "be used to good effect, it is

Ir.posslhle to fix a standard, for It depends on the reader, the nat-

\w:a.l "bent of h4« mind, and the degree of assimilation of his own

ideas to those cf the author. Fere we find an intimation as to

why the estiffiates of Balzac's work as a whole, or of single works

such as the Lys dans^ la yal lee. have varied so wiriely at differ-

periccJs and with different individuals.

In Fi;genie Grand et the most rretentious figures grow cut of

the effort to m.agnlfy the Import of this tragedie hourpeoise.so

coiTjnonplace in appearance, which Balzac wills to interpret as sui^

passing the territle and thrilling dramias enacted in the family

of the MrlAes. The intrigues for the hand of Ftagente are liken-

ed to the str.iggles of the Medici and Bazzl at Florence; F-igenie

shows more courage, when she replaces the sîgar on the ta"ble "be-

fore the eyes of her father, that the woman who sustains vrith

"bleeding hands a sliên ladder where'by her lover is escairing.

Fere the figure is pretentiousf^^S/' a, comjnonplace act is compar-

ed to a grandiose one; but as expressed there is really nc m .

^rf.t sterfw rifivc) .frrfr .Bentl I^nol .tnevrroo -vollol ylsaolo sstrgtl e:1J

:3T't 3l8vlBr[i5 Tl5f^ Dhg ij^nlsiselrr •^srf.tsso.tlfi :ron a J: msii:.! ^tf .t'tsi

.98x£tq oJ' nn/^ +

to sJrisrrfels BLfoitiiv ni nolsaBtqxe sfinll ricl.'tw nolJêts^ji^xs o^

fias.fjslO'ifi'iqr^'I.e.tnr'ooojB :){nBcf,aTe.to/5tBrio sft rrtievoxi b'obsIbt

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-cfjtl lo 93SrfT yns nJt Y.-tlB0j:.t3l:Jj.B, fisHlcfat't ^^ hbo iioUsTBâsxe lo

ai .tt.J-oelle boog o.? Bseir sgT hbo floira wo1 oi b.g ;noi.t39'co y^s'i^

-j'BH srf.t.tstsst 9rf.t no a.5rf9q"9l) :fJt -rol .fit.sSasJ'a b xil oJ sltfiaaoqr-rii

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s^-fTO'" eL^nta lo To,9lorf-A/ s tJB .{-[ov' a'osslK'T lo agjsal.teg oifj vrfv/

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..Îsi'&lx'ift'tl ^trtftt^^lllfc rli'iw ^^B ^f-)o^!9:T

lo .trj ^'j"a --"it'S-tl 3r'oi.tn9.t9-t^' .teoi'i 9-1.? -sîlG'tO A^Hâil^ --

os.93lo9îf;qcr slfteaBt J si":? lo J"tOT'il arf^t Y'^-l^f^3JB?t o.t tTolle sit

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Ylinsl 9r{.t rtt J59*Dsrr9 aBriBt?) gntlli-r'-f.t briB slcfi'Ttgi 9it.r îl^sB'^

-n9MiI 9'^B 9lrf93rr'T -ô ftnfirf 9rf.t tol BBrr^îi-Ini S'<y .ssblt-1\ «r(.t lo

9in93rrH" ;90n9t0l1 JB .tS^SBT ^.T.B i0iB9M 9ri-t lo 89l?4af'^.t3 9j{.t o.t 59

-9d" SlcfB.t 9'f.t no TGSrrB 9rf.t ;390Bl.7PT 9X18 n9r['V, ggBltroO 9'T0:1 B'fQf.a

'•^.tl'V 3ntB.t3rf3 O-f'-V riBntO'V S-f.t .ti3ffJ,t9i1.tBl t9-: lo S9Y9 9^!t 'rTOl

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v[Cj39't i-;t 9'T9i^t ft933=)'tT)C9 ai5 trrf ; 9n;o ssoibnBt:^ 3 o.t 1)9

J

exaggeration, Un menagg d_e garcpn contains exaggerations of

poxver and Importance, as whenr'Flore Mnder the domination of pv*!-

llppe is llKened to France In the hands of Faxoleon; t^t exaggei*-

atlon ]iere Isîsîally In tine direction of excessive iraterlîsa,

which V7ill he the snhject of a later discvisslon.

The ahove n.entioned pretentious figures we can accept with a

smile at the conscious or unconscious irony of the author; hut in

the Lys dans la vallee the effort to idealize, which appears only

sporadically in Eugeni e Grandet. produces solid masses, as it wer§,

of pretentious poetical figures,which "become insipid from their

)rery numher and from their character. Fearly all the comparisons

to religious emotions, to saints, martyrs, and the llxe.come under

this head; while the comparisons to flowers, flulds.ard flames of-

fend "by the manner of expression rather than hy the "basal idea.

A single short paragraph containing six distinct figures win

serve to illustrate tMs point :

"Je lul contal m.on enfance et ma jeunesse,non comme Je vous

I'ai dlte,en la jugeant a distance, mais avec les paroles ardentes

du Jeune homime de qui les hlessures saignent encore. Ma vclx re-

tentit commie la hache des hiicherons dans une foret. ne^'ânt elle

tom"berent a grande "bmlt les annees mortes,les longues douleurs

qui les avalent herissees de tranches sans feulllages, Je lul

peignls avec des mots enfievres une foule de details terrl"bles.^/

dont Je vous al fait grace. J'etalals le tresor de m.es vceux

"brlllanta.l'or vierge de mes de8lrs,tout un coeur hralant consejê

sous les glaces de ces alpes entassees par un continuel hlver.

I.orsque.cour'be sous les polds de mes scuffranees redites avec

les char"bons d 'Isale, J 'attendis un mot de cette feirme qui m-'ecou-

tait la tete "balssee,elle eclaira les tene"bres par 'm regard.

to 8r:o.tJ'B't:9M3X3X9 .Baic.+noo nqoTB3 _sf)_93Bn9ni__rtU ,noi J3t9;^3i5X9

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. no i 30 f'03 it) 'TSJ'Bl £ lO S0Q'(,(iV3 9,'t.t 9-^ IX.t-" dOirfW

£ .^.tl-.r ^'j900G fiBo e'" astf'.'gil Gxroi^n9.t9-f7 f)9noi.t;-T9a Q-'ocfs erfr

nl iutif ;-toiiit!s 9rt.t to vnotl osrotoBnoon-' to sffoiosaoo srf.t J3 '^li.na

Ylno STB9:rq;/3 rfoirfw.asilBShi oJ ^ttotlo 9rtt 9eXIii\^ bX aaeb bvJ erf.J

,^t9w il 33.;?9T3J3n fctlos a9Df'£)Otg . j9trigTri etnB;^m nl 7.CXsolbSTo.q[3

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3nOBlTSTTTO0 9fl.t XXg Y-CtBP^4 .'tsiOBturi':) tle:iS nott Dns t9d;T!frn y.'tsv

t9ftrtr 9'rtoo,9^(iX 9ri.t l3rrr.,3-tv:.t't.RTi,s.tnli;3 o.t.,8noi.?orr9 BtTOt:^tlHt o:r

-to 39:JiJsXt f)-^B,3f:il.t;Xt,8tS"roXt o.t anoat-xaqyôo Q<i.t 9Xirf?? ibseri aii.t

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: .-^nloq alrf.r 9.+-STJ'8tfXXi o~t evTSS

8i;ov <=>{, 9^'!T00 non,93aenrf9t sn .t9 99'iGtn9 (to.-n is.tftoo Xf^X el."

as.tnefitB ssXotbt seX 0'=*vb aXs.T.gonBisXft s inz^gi'i eX ri9,9.Uf/ 13* X

-9T xiov fM .9'toon9 Jn9n§is^ 39TiTas9Xcr 39X £r'p,9^ sn-nori eni'sl ^'b

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J

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, 89X''fl'T'^9.t aXXG.tef) e^ 9Xr'0t snv 39i"9itr!9 a.to'!i 39t; oe'^s 3in;Hi9q

xrf90v 39n 9t) T089icf 9X slsLrîs'J, .90f.-T;% IX-'/t Is 3^0-'^ 9t .tnofi

9V".93rf00 .tnBX.fr-frf Tf'900 HCf .tffO.t , 8T l39b 89TI -^f) 95Teiv to* X , 8 taSlIXtCf

,T9Vlr<. ISt'llX^nOO ni: tSq 39S33B.Jn9 39q[XB 390 g*:- 390SXa '^'51 a;ro3

09v.(3 39,tl^«T 899nB'Tttr/03 sstiT 9£i Bfito'.y asl Sf/OS 9cfttroo,9i;paio.l

--r'009'!Tt Itrp 9rm!?^t 9.tCfS0 9fc ,t0^1 Pirr 8Xr)n9.t,t£' ^ , 9XB3I • .5 8riO(fTB.iO 39X

,bts39T nr' tB.i a9Tcf9rf9.t ?.9X rnislor) elL'^.^Baetsd 9.t9.t .3X .Hai

55

elle anlma le? moiides terrestres et fllT'-lns par nr\ seiil mot " ( pfa'ff54»

Vhen the conception Is "banal, a pretentions elalsoratlon Is

all the more dleagreea'^^le and the flgnre TDecomes pure verbiage

worthy of the prec ieuses : "Vons in'avez naguere dirlge savaoment

a tracers les voles perllleuses 6n grandjl^ inon(le"( J.Y,p2i? ); "Ce

tresor englouti dans les eaux dormantes de 1 'oi3hli"(LV.p.m"Ce regard noville. . .coirmie un eternel Joyau dont lee feDx trlllent

aux jours dlfficlle8"(LV.p,W); ""^oe ames, qui, pour alnsl dire.en-

tralent 1 'une chex 1 'autre sans obstacle,mais sans y etre con-

vleec par le balser"(LV,p,lMrftj; "Henversant le porcpeux edifice

eleve par sa preference ir!aternelle''(MrT.p.-5fJU; "Lrape sur son lit

de TTort dans le manteau de la phllosophle encyclopedlste''(MrT.p.l7^ );

"L'airiour vral.l'airour des anges.l 'arronr fler q^il vit de sa douleur

et qui en rceurt''(EG.p.'^5i); "Collflchets de dandy... tous les In-

ctrireents aratolres dont se sert un Jeijne olslf pour labourer la

vie"(Err.p.T^).

The prlire requisite of a flgnre of speech is that it should

"be apt, that it should he suitable to the thlr-g compared. If there

is no external resemblance between the two ob.lects,or if the two

concepts are not associated in our minds so that they can rroduce

similar Intellectual or emotional react ions, the figure Is un^just-

Ifiable. The effort to magnify the import of the subject under

discussion naturally leads the author to compare it to something

with which it is incompatible; th^^s many of the Inexact ,abs-"rd,

and meaningless figures are the result of some form of pretention.

The comparison of Felix drin»,irg the tears of Madame de Mortsauf

to a m.an taking the rfoly Comiriunlon would be revolting if the com-

parison were not so incongruous as to be ridiculous. The ccmpar-

isons to flowers, flu Ids, and flames have ir general no very -if

.f ?n, T)»,to'n iTfsa nt' tb^ 3^1vi^ ^9 sftt-tastTSt asf/nom -tsI saitrioS fills

sgjstcfTPV 9trrq- aernooecf sifrsn ei^Ct has ©I'^nsB'T^Bait) SToa '^f'f.t lis

.tno.TLUBvss sgiTir/ stjpr'i^Gn ssvb':;''. acroV" : 3f>e(^9.to9Tqr S'lJ' to vri.J'to'.v

eO* .•f'82ST.V4)"'9Bno'n $fins't?i rrb assffelli-rsj RSlov eel 3"t9Vr,-v,t is

.C-?^.;i.Vj)*ll:ftro'I 9ft asJasriT-roft xt/se 891 eneb i-ttfolgns 'toyetJ

J'nsritTcT xtfst 8ftl ^noft KB^ôt, I9rtte.t9 ntf 9'rr(ioo. . .9lIif'on £)-rS39'T yO"

-n9,9Tif) isnis tfJOiTt Ir/p.ao.-iiB eotf" ;(Jsi^. q-.vj)»39llont iJ) 3't.tro[. xs/5

-riOO 9TCfA V anB3 2l6Tt,9lOBi3(fO 3nBB St^.f^B*! SSffO 9nir' I J;t9l-G'fJ

9onib9 xr^sqirtoq el ;tn/38T9vn9F" .•(M'I,q.VJ)»»t93i;Bcf 91 tsq aaoiv

HL nos Tir.fB 9qsTCI" ;t>4l^.ci,OiiI)*eIl9n-T9.toai 9orf9T9T:9Tq B3 Tcq ev9l9

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3ntr<.t9Ttoa o.t .tl gtsgrrtoo o.t torf.tFS 9rft abR'^^L •>iIlBtf.rJ'6n noiaatroait)

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lirBBJ-foM 9fi 9.nBfcB,\I lo atsec^ erl:? S"ti,ni:'Tfc xll9'5 lo noaltBgiaoo srfT

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-iBq:noo 9(tT .atfoirrolf l-t ecf oJ as acroi/ânoonl oa ton 9t9-v noaltsg

• vtsv on I.,G-i9np:-^ il 9vsr( asjisll 6nSj3i:)irIl,8t9woIl o.t ;:ino8i

36

distinct ireaning.ancl when we are told that the inonrnf"! tones of

MadaiEe de Mortsauf exhaled an odor liKe that of cnt (decaying?)

flowers(LV\.p.'^4^>we are at a loss to relate the tv;o Ideas even

emotionally, ether examples of quest lona'ble clearness and apt-

ness are; "Ma chair laissee en larcheaux dans don coeijr"(LV.p.l-60>)

"Un visage ou les ailes du plaisir avaient seme' lenr poussiere

diapree"(LV.p,~50?-); "Son corps Ignore la snevie.ll aspire le feu

dans 1 'atmosphere et vit dans I'eau sous peine de ne pas vivre"

LV.p.-eêr. More external Is the incongruity In such expression-

as : "Une feffime...fle posa pres de moi par un mouvement d'olseau

qui s'ahat sur son nid^tLV.prS^); "Je suis jalouse; dit-elle

avec un accent d 'exaltation qui resserahlait au conp de tonnerre

d'un orage qui pas3e"(LV.p.'ê4.

Two examples of improper comparison from. Eugenie _Grandet ii,

are :» !W<^.No(yj piantee sur ses pieds comme ^me chene de soixante

23>/ /ans sur ses racine8"(EG.T).~2^; "Le honhomrae santa snr le neces-

saire corame un tigre fond sur un enfant endormi '•(ECr.SîJ. The

first figure is rendered incongruous^ the mention of roots; as

for the second, If a tiger should attack a sleeping child at all,

it would not he In the manner that the passage suggests. When

Balzac adds endgrmi,. he is forgetting for the moment his figure

in the desire to emphasize the helplessness of liMgenle.

The Impropriety in the figuresjbf Balzac comes largely from

the fact that they are too physical, too materialistic for the

thing compared. This Is especially trae of the Lys dans la vaia.ee

while in Un menage de garcon.where everything is placed on a ma-

terialistic basis, the figures fit in very naturally, though occa-

sionally ths limit seems to he overstepped: "Une ferarae.verte

-iCtS tliB BBQUISBLQ 9lO'/3nOi .tSSfp "to E9lq':vt.GX9 'fecfJO .vIlEnoi.tuni©

"STvl'/ 5£q 9n 9/: enleo" arfoe cjess'I shbB .tlv :^9 etsffqaoniJii'I sast

I'fse .'i to

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, r-cK^.q.VJ)"sea£q l;rp sîBto 'U^' '^

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3^

conmie nne noyee 6e deux Jonrs"(Ma.p.3^^6->. In the Lys dans la

vallee .however, the all-per\ziaslve iriat9rlallsto\of the figures

is displeasing, alTPOSt revolting, "by contrast with the evident

purpose of idealizing. When Felix seeks in the hea-^t of his motft-

er "des endrolts frlaples" where he can attach "qnelq^es rameaux

d 'affect ion" (LV.-D."VJ?L) ,when he speaks of a woman as "sechee anr

sur^tlge.faute de seve"(LV.p.]tf^),or when he compares Madame de

Mortsaiif to a worm-eaten fruit that is nearing the stage of pe-

trifaction, he Is far from the realm of poetic Impressions. TMgei|-

nle Grandet presents a measured rise of expressions of materialism

in its crudest forms, "Un nez, . .flavescent a I'etat normal. m.ais

roixge apres les repas,espece de phenomene vegetal *( 7(5.p."^^^ and

"La joie semlDQ;llt s'echapper ccmme une fumee par les crevasses

de son "brun visage "( EG,Po-?s^ are not^feigtctly pleasing to onr

sensl'bilit leSjlDnt they are in accoyd with the character, and with

the tone of the passage.

The continued expression of the a"bstract l)y the concrete pro-

duces an Im.pression of materialism. F^ich comparlsons)rised with

discretion, could he miade,however, to produce extremely poetic ef-

fects; the fault with Balzac's figures is that they insist too

much on the similarities, they introduce details that spoil the

poetic suggestion. This can he exemplified hy cases where a single

word adied spoils the figure, we can form a vague conception of

thoughts flooding the soul like waves,hut when we are told that

they "Jaillissent ecunieu3es"(LV.p.xSiU,our imagination hallcs. It

is very well that the soul should hathe in pleasure, "but it Is hard

to conceive of its being "refraichle sur toutes see surfaces, ca-

ressee dans ses plls les plus profonds^CLV.il^g. Similarly after

Bl anBt 8vJ srfn rr .(-o^-?. CT,r,:j:)weftro(, xt'Bb 9f; esyorr srjff Simon

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t

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a

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a long comparison of Madame de Mortsauf to a iDlt of heather near

the villa Didatl, Balzac aids : "Son corps avalt le verdeiir que nous

admlrons dans les feullles nouvellement depllee8"(LV.prift4. "Un

teint culvre.verdi le place en place" (i'[G.p.2^J4-) offers an inter-

esting example, In which copper complexion suggested the idea of

the green corr^ion seen so often on copper veeaeia.

Finally we have figures which do not accord with themselves .

The incoherence is largely attri"bnta"ble to exhn"berance of imagi-

nation. From the multitude of images that ai-lae in his mind,

Balzac does not choose; he adds them one after the other in such

quick succession that they frequently overlap, we may defl!lie\a

mixed or Incoherent figure as one In which two or more incompati-

ble images are evolced to represent the same olD.lect or concept, ffl

In order that such a figure may "be perraissihle ,it is not suffi-

cient that the figurative expresslon^should "be commonplace; all

tut one of them aaist lose entirely the power of producing an im-

age. Until then a sort of intellectual wrench is neccessary in

order to grasp the meaning, a process which is especially disagree -

aiDle to the French mind,with its love of fatness and exactness.

In the following examples the incoherence is comparatively unot»-

tnsive : "Fnivre d'amhition par cette femme, Charles avait caresse,

pendant la traversee.toutes ces espeVances,qui lui furent presentee

pair une main habile; et sous forme d^ confidences versees de coeur

a coeur "(FPt.p.-^^); "Une teinte de pie'te passionnee qui vers^ dans

I'ame de son enfant cherie la lumlere de 1 'amour celeste "(lv, p."-^O-)

"N"08 arces etalent en prole a ces vouleversements qui les sillon-

nent de maniere a y^^-laisser d'eternelles empreintes "(LV.p.t^^.

Each figure, however, presents three or more ideas that do not

-.etnl Hi. B.etlo (^g,GK)„ "eoBlq rte eonlT et i£).sv.sTvli;o Jniecf

10 £bM eri>t b9,t«esS'r8 noiXBlgrrtoo tsqqoo riolriv; nl.elgmxxe anU«e

.8f£e89v tsqqoD no nsno oe nsea noi-n-.o nssf^^ -^^^'^t

. .evle.mei^.t r^n^' Moodb -ton of. rtolr^w ae-tnan ev^ri e',v Y.Xicnl^

rlorrl 1.1 tsrito '^r«;t tens eno :.e/t:r e!^r^ e^ jeaoorio ;ton ".sot oi^.i^S

-iJ^qôDrri eto:n to o.^^ aol^"' .1 sno 3B etirsn ^rte-Terfooai to Dsxii.

_f^^,„ ôit «i .11 9l(fJt88lm'C9q scf yBm eîr^n b rfoi-s :r^f(^ '^-^t'-to rtl

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39

harmonize, as for Instance en prole . 'bouleversements . slllonnent .and

egDjrreintea, More external Is the confusion of an arrow and a shot

In • Jamais cet nomme n'avalt rcanqne de Inl decocher une fleche au

cdeur. Oisea'T sutllrae attelnt dans son I'Ol par ce frossler grain

de -j)lonit),elle tomba^ "i(l^(i^,p.t^€4. "Tii ne connalssals pas ton oncte,

cpourqnol pleures-tu? lîl dit son pere en l^Jl lancant nn de ês re-

,<^*- ^^

gards '.le tlgre affame qu'il jetalt sans donte a ,tas d •or"(l!'^^.p,''»5Sj

lacKs ai)tne8S as well as coherence; the glance of an angry father,

of a hîngry tiger, and of a miser "before his gold can "be hardly he

assimilated into a single conogpt , The most marl:ed tendency In the

Lys dans la vallee is to fiise the various conceptions noted In

groyp in, as when Felix speaks of Madam.e de Mortsauf as "cette

fleur slderale*(LV.p."^^. Other examples are ii'PoMr aspirer I'alr

qui sortalt de sa levre charge de son ame.pour etrelndre cette lu-

iiiiere>, parley. avec I'ariieur o'lie J'aurals mlse a serrer la comtesse

sur raon aein"(LV.t),5K); " Je sentls un farfi.m de femjne qui hrllla

dans nion ame comme y hrilla depuls la poesle orlentale"(LV.pr2^,

Mine, de Mortsauf 's speech is air surcharged with her soul, It Is a

llg^t.yet at the same time Felix emlDraces it as he would the wo-

man herself.

In the light of what has heen said, we may analyse certain pha-

sea of the intellectual process hu which Balzac creates his figures.

Tine continual repetition of practically the sam.e figure would in-

dicate that, In addition to the figures resulting from a spon-

taneous operation of the imagination, there are others that grow up

out of a creconceived notion of similarity. It is In this last

class that the most salient faults occur, resulting fyora an im.per-

M-.vC.

feet analysis of the ^relatlonaibetween the two terms of the ::.i.-

?5

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.tleBTSrt nBrh

-arfq- nJ:B^t9o eaylBriB yxjirt ew.JiiBa nfiscf esri .tBriw lo .trfsil 9rf:r nl

.pS-îCfgn Siff 8e.JBST0 OBSlSFT riOlrfW rrcf S8900Tg IJ3;r,t09ll9.tnJt 9ff.t To H9a

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qrr WOTS ^nri.t afsrivto stb eterfJ.noJt.tBnlsBiTii fiilJ lo noL-lBtr-qo aj/oensJ

.t2Bl airi.t nl pA .tT .y-titBlimla lo nol.ton f)9vl90ftoo6't • b lo ,tfro

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-.awii 9ri.1- lo 8rnTS.t ow.t srf.t n99'w^9o'a'Bnal^flI'i-t 9ff.t lo sisylBrtB ôsl

coiTiparlsons, The human consclonsness crowded with concepts la

llXe a sheet of paper on which thousands of oi'-erlapplng circles

of all sizes have heen drawn. To malce a perfect corrparlson.one

must see In jiiHt how far the two concepts coincide and admit

nothing In the expression of the figure of speech that forces him

outside of the common territory; an artistic figure Is one In whlcJi

the reader does not perceive that the author has overstepped the

limits.

Balzac who frequently ^j'ites concepts that really are related

hy VQT}/ unessential traits, that have little common territory, over-

steps the limit in hoth^lrectlons, We have 'already noted, in speak-

ing of figures that are not apt, that he forces a figure in order

to raaXe it "better suit the idea which he wishes to present. (1)

Similarly he tends to add to the figure something -tiat may refer

directly to the first term hut is out of place as applied to the

second. Thus in the "ilger-hoa comparison of arandet,t)ie last word

methodique refers to Grandet tather than to the serpent. In "Elle

tremhlalt de laisser cette hrehls [E'.ige'nle},hlanche comme elle.pi'i^

seule au milieu d'^-m monde egoiste qui voulait lul arracher sa

toison.ses tresors"(Err.p.?w),tresgr8 refers to Fiigenie and not

to the lamh. From such expressions, which arise from the desire to

express everything, it is hut a step to mixed metaphor; \t tbe mind

reverts hack too strongly to the literal sense, it may reexpress it

hy an entirely different figure. But it is usually in the other

direction that the mind of Palzac is directed. He loses sight of

his original idea and develops the figure for its own. sake/ ^ ^-^ P^

(1) See page 36

04J

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of: B%o1 ?»93 (I)

"Son dealr va comme le tourblllon dn desert, le desert dont

l»ardente liranensite se peint dans ses yeux.le desert pleln d'aznT

et (I'ainour.avec son ciel inalteraDle.avec ses fraiches nnlts

etoilee8''(LV.p,25i,); "Henriette etalt I'olseau chantant sea po-

emes orlentanx dans son "bocage an "hord dn Tange.et .comre nne plei*-

revle vivante, volant de loranche en "branche' parml les roses d'nn

liranense volXameria tonjours fleurle"(LV.r.~?3^. More especially

in tne cases we have noted of over emphasis of the materialism,

it s-^eras that the Image has entirely replaced the original idea

In the mind of Balzac. Indeed he^fiises in snch a way the figura-

tive and the literal that we are inclined frequently to helieve

that he loses the capacity of distinguishing "between the two, that

he uses the figures without 'beirig conscious that he Is departing

from the normal speech.

The figures indicate also the laclc of such critical sense

as would naturally belong tc a man worlcing more soherly,without

such feverish enthousiasm or inspiration of creation; a critical

spirit that would restrain his natural tendencies, correct the pat-

ent faults, soften the hrutality of the materialism, and restrict

the nuttber of the figures.

IV.

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^2Chapter Iir

CAUS"R:S that CONTRIRUTFJD to BALZAC'S FREQTTBHT USE

OF THF FIGURE OF SPEECH/

As one may Judge from the alDOve, Balzac Is exceedingly fond

of the fignre of speech and uses it mvich more than the average

pro9« writer. His novels at times teem with them; a single com-

parison is carried out into manv ramifications or one follows an-

other in qulclc snccfisslon.as on page 3^of the Lys dans la vallee

where there are Fowrteen distinct figntres. Moreover, a large pro-

portion of the figures shock our sense of propriety in one way or

another. On the whole in quantity and quality they present a

tather undigested and indigestlhle mass. Indeed the severe and

almost universal criticism of Balzac's style — aside from compo-

sition in the "braoder sense — is largely equivalent to a criti-

cism of his figures of speech, for it is in them that the vulgar-

ity, "bad taste. homhast

.

galimatias .and pretentiousness most often

find expression. When Sainte-Beuve,Taine,or Faguet wish to illus-

trate certain had qualities of Balzac's style, It is his figures (ff

of speech that they quote; and if you remove the figures of speeOi

from a page of his novels, you have as a nile a passage of simple,

straightforward prose that does not in any way merit the following

not altogether unjustifiahle tirade of Pontmartin : "Quel encom-

"brementl que de phrases estropieesl, que de pages hydroplquesL que

d'ohscurltesl que d'affeteriesl que d'emphasei que de neolo-

glsmes inacceptahles, que de metaphores indoherentes. que d'ana-

logieH im.possihles j Sous cette richesse apparente que d'emharras

et --e gene. Quelle fatigue pour arriver a faire moins hlen en vGn>-

lant mieux faire, a tout em.hroulller en vouiant tout dire."(l)

( 1 ) Caus e ries litteraire s, p 502

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SO^ J. a9.tlBT:9.t 4 jj B9lt&3J:>jO (I)

^3

Hence an explanation of the figures of speech Is of conslderaTsle

valne In a aiscijsslon of Balzac.

The prolDlein that faces ns in a study of the figures of Pal-

zac may 'oe formulated in the following way. Here Is a man who in

many respects Is a iraster of lang^iage and who Is constantly try-

ing to find the "best expression for his ideas. From his corres-

pondence and from the testimony of his friends we hav aTDnnd^nt

evidence that he literally tortured himself in his efforts to per-

fect his style. Then why does he drag In this apparently extra-

neous mass of figures which seems so often to hinder rather than

to aid his expression? Or to resolve the problem into its three

main divisions: Why does Balzac use so many figures? What expla-

nation can we find for the kind of figures that he uses? What 1»-

pression is made hy these figures upon the reader? In the present

chapter we are concerned primarily with the first of these ques-

t ions

.

We rust consider first a very simple explanation which of-

fers Itself at once. The figure of speech Is a literary artifice

and is frequently used as a stylistic ornament. It is only natu-

ral that Balzac in his efforts to attain to an artistic style

should seize upon this process which had "been so effectively used

"by others and which is easy to imitate "because it appears to en-

tall only an external grafting. This explanation accounts in laige

measure for the unusually frequent use of figures In the Lys dans

la vallee. The greater contine,porarles of Balzac were consummate

stylists ; Prautler, rr.Sand,Hugo,Lamennai8,Merimee,S-t-e«to€irl-, Chateau-

briand, and others were endowed with artistic or poetic natures, and

each had "built ur for himself out of the nins of classicism a

f+1

slrfBTeMsnoo "ô pA rfcr-eqrs to as'T.trgll sr^.r lo n[Ol..tBn£Xqx& nB sorreH

.Oi5slJo.1 to rtojtaaf'oeiti s nL Sfisv

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ni. orfv; rjfi'Ti B 3.t ST9H .vijw :^nfi7vollot orf.t :it b9.t£lfmTtot SO" v^xiin or.s

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9j?rBl '"il aJ'nrfODDG noJt.+BnBlqxe airfT .gnLttBts lBm9.tX9 ns ^jXno LtsS

8fiB& ^yj S't.t nl asTif^lt to B'î.ir .tngt-peTt yllBusirnir 9r^.t tot 9Tr3B9!r[

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MB,89trf.?Bn ol.t9oq -to oi..tRl.tt£ rf;ttw Jb9wo6n9 9T9'A' atsriô X)nB .finBlto'

B -nalolasBlo to anir't s.iJ' to ^jro llsanlrf -rot 'c .tlhrcf fiB.-f r{0B9

style suital)le to his genius : styles w}nlch had many adrrlrers in

the days when the romantic eirphasls on form was at Its height, and

which today might serve as models for certain genres. TinoDgh

Balzac wonld not have accorded stylistic superiority to all of

these, the continual harj)lng of the critics on his lack of style

worried him, and he determined to show them what he could do when

he tried. The Lys dans la valle e is an attempt to rewrite Volrip^

te and to surpass Salnte-Beuve in his own field of the psycholog-

ical novel; it was to "be a 8ul)llme i(iyl of pure lo'"-e. Ke refers

several times in his corresrondence to the dlfflenity that he has-

in composing it. "J'ai von in me sen'îr dn langaê de Mass 1 lion

et cet lnstnxment~la est lonrd a manler*(l) In his effort to

write ornatel^^to make the style match the snhllmlty of the snlD-

ject.he has added figure after figure,until he resem"bles the paint -

er in the Che f-d * oîvre 1 nconnu , who in his constant desire to add

just one more elem.ent of beauty to his can^'-as.m.alres of It an\nnln-

telliglTsle dauh for all others tut himself.

But we cannot accept the desire for stylistic adornment as

the only or even the chief reason for the frequent use of figu-

rative language: what we find in the Lys dans la vallee is simply

an exaggeration of a natural stylistic tendency of Balzac. He

was already much addicted to the figure of speech, as we see from

Pigenie ?randet . and we may Judge that Its use corresponded to

some conscious or unconscious need of the author. This ~^'?rtng8i^

us to the question of the fiindamental purpose of figures. It is

true that they ii.ay he purely stylistic ornamients.yet even as such

they should produce In the reader an jmpression.an errotloiial re-

action, desired ty the author. Bit they sen'e also to present an

idea in a clearer and more force fijl manner. Tn the comparison of

(1) Lett res a 1 'etran^.ere.Vol .I.d.???

4!4i

tnfi«.trf§lsff 3.tl Jb 8BW ciToT: no BleBrfqms otinEiao-^ erii nerfF ay.f-'i erf J

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nsflw ofi ftlrroo f*;l .tB.rfw msrfJ" woiê o.l" ftsninns^sB srf fcfir,r;Tir{ hslnow

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TV ^. o. I. lov. 9 -1 5:<:tnB't.t9' I B eST.t.tgJ (I)

^5

an unfamiliar or IndescrlDalale olDject to Boirethlng well klrow to

the reader, they facilitate expression Toy the sDhstitntion of fa-

miliar concept for a long abstract or technical (liscnssion. The

figure Is, as it were, a pattern laid down, Toy which the reader is

to cut the still shapeless cloth of his tiôught. THe expression

wo'ild lose effect iT'-eness if we should try to give sn accurate ^de-

scription; the figure is more forceful hecause it is shorter, he-

cause it requires an effort of the imagination to grasp the real

meaning, which is not directly expressed. The mind Is forced to

Torn a definite concrete image ^ Literal speech m.lght "be compared

to an electric current passing through a series of wires in con-

tact, and the figure of speech to the spark when the two wires are

separated,' i metaphor such a&-|-the wings of night/T-is really an

incorrect expression, causing a hrealc in the continuity of the

thought. The greater the distance "between the two wires tê \ :^

"brighter the spark will he,up to the point where the current will

not make the leap; the stronger the current, the greater the possi-

"ble leap. Thus the ohjects compared "become a"bsolutely incompatl-

"ble and you al^ê a figure wrich is virtually meaningless, ^n

irrpassione'l style such as that of Balzac vitalizes m.any figures

that would fall flat in a cold, classical style with, consequently,

a colder more critical reader, we may suppose then that Balzac

sought hy the use of the figures to attain to a more adequate and

more forceful expression of his ideas. In order to get a hetter

comprehension of this statement, let us consider the problems that

would face a Balzac writing in France in the early nineteenth

century.

The enforced formation of Images is one of the most importahi

0.1 worfl:>f II9W 3rf/rf.t9TfOfj o.t .t09f,cfo slcfiitfltoRsrinl to liilliiUBlrHr hjb

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.V'tcr^rreo

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elements in vivid writing. Oir oriMnary irodes of expression

have t>ecoire so stereotyped that the words are purely aTsstract

syirlools and present no plctirre to the mind: they may even he used

and heard without a full realization of their ireaning, because thfy

simply revive the same emotional reaction that was produced when

they were heard he fore. It is trie that language Is largelt a

net-worlc of originally figurative express ioni^3.vre_ de Joie.chef In

its various meanings, or periser.etjTiiologically the same as peser l' }

hut hy constant use figures lose all image-arousing power and "be-

come purely ahstract« The tendency in language, when such express-

ions heccm.e hanal.ls to introduce a new expression, as peser in a

similar meaning to that of pepse r; for the mind must crystalize an

abstract conception around concrete phenomena in order to use it.

With the French, a supremely intellectual people who deal readily

with abstract concepts, this tendency is not so evident. In the

development of their language up to the nineteenth century (bar-

ring the increase and m:Ore extended use of scientific te?'m8 in tfie

second half of the eighteenth), they have striven to limit rather

than to extend their vocabulary; they have tended to restrict

themiselves to a single word for any one generalized concept and to

leave the particular concept to be supplied by the context( Cf .the

verbs of miotion : a 1 1 e r . ven i r .

s

e^ prpmene r . recu 1 e r . o r a noun such

as terre). Fach word gathers meaning from the surrounding words,

A

and the word group conveys an idea which the mind grasps with 11

tie effort. The result Is admirable for clearness, as the eseen-

th lltr-

V

tlal significance is not obscured by extraneous or non-essential

elements. B.it such expression is colorless and is suitable esped-

laliy for the transmission of abstract and conventional ideas. (1)

(1) In English the situation is slightly different , for we have a

larger vocabulary and have retained m.ore words relating to the

tesf eo" n9V9 yijin vsiJ ifiniin srii o~1 sir/.Joi.T on .1n9aet>7 JbtB alocfrrvs

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»^7

tne same general concept, some of wmicn, especially those cf

Anglo-Saxon origin, nave Kept a strong literal slgnlflcanceCCf

.

edge and "bordex). In tnis way certain figurative expressions

which are natural and current retain more of their power of evo-

cation, because they are not s^ constantly used. By the side of

them exist otner modes of expression, atsolutely literal in

the im.pression they give, which are used unless the writer seeKs

con6Ciou81y or otherwise the m.cre vivid formi This ahundance may

lead to olDscurity at, times hut as a result cf it vividnesp of ex-

pression "becomes a more natural characteristic of the language.

Also such liherties as the English nze of sulsstantives as adjec-

tives or adverhs enahle us to evolce an lm.age 7,'ithcut seeming to

go out of onr way to do so: "star-mem.orles", "violet -"breath" •

"hutter-flngered.;: HA.^ ^ "^

^^^/ r^- "E^ famous rat re TTorrontoire fo^ Victor Bigo wa^-an

-

attH©jg]^tre-itrti-ro4'-j:ee-a—8l?^ 1 lar-J^raedjDiri int.o ^'^^eneh

.

In French, imagery is farther from the line cf normal speech and

has to "be created more consciously r-nd e:>'^ernally» We mny find X

here one explanation of the colc^ness of most French rcetry to the

average English mind: the Im.ages are either ahsent or lacking in

spontaneity. Poetry as a condensed and ahnorral form of expres-

sion has particular need of vivia conceptions and impress ions,which

the imagination can seize upon and from which it can radiate into

the realms of the unexpressed; for if the author does not lea'"-e

much to "be gathered "between the lines, his verse is hut rythmicin pft

prose.

-OVW J::

•"T3vM 'io n^^rii

:'V-H3-,BW 0,.. 3T J ^HQiflO.Tef ftt .tg-

• j(^ • \

s fto.a 'totaenMoo -^ rxe ©no st^rf

ffii t>i«lfc£- : tS&liSw molt kfi& r: iso not^Bniiaeffli sfi-t

^^r

If we st.ijfly the great masters of Frencn literature ve find

that, in a large irajorlty of cases. they depart hnt little frorr. the

con'^rentlonal French mode of expression. TWey—©we^ their preeirilnence

artistic linltatlon of the classics, to delicate ps'i'chological

analysis, to the expression of the latent passions and aspirations

of Iran, to their charming imagination ond fancy, or to their treat-

rert of the prohlems of philosophy, morality, and society, all pre-

sented ir a form and style that approaches perfection for t^ta-t

particular genre, Bnt their creations do not give a powerful 11-

iMsion of life^we do not tnrn a street corner expecting to meet

one of their characters face to face. Rahelais.Mollere and saint-

Simon, however, "belong to a smaller ^loup who are preeminently cre-

ators. T^ey present not abstractions "but real hnm.an "beings that

"become personal acquaintances cf the reader, social orders that

seem as palpa"ble to him as the one in which he lives. There is

an intangi'ble something which we can only define hy that undefin-

ahle term., genius, "by which these men impose the creatures of their

imagination (1) upon our consciousness in spite of the impro"ba-

"bility or even impossi"bllity of their ever having existed.

(1) For Saint rlmon see i^^low. v-^A,^^^,(^- -^y^'HH'^

'There is something in these authors that appeals to us as do the

criide elemental forces cf nature; this Is reflected ir their

styles, which do not respect the more conventional ideas of compo*

tion. Careless of restraint .they seek a mode of expression confoten-

ahle to their su"bjects; one that leaves them unhampered in person-

al expression; for in the last analysis the pilse of life must he

transm-itted from the author's own personality, it is interesting

to note that the characters of Moliere.who almost necessarily made

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greater conceselons to convent. Ion. tend irore than those of RalDelalB

and Saint-Slmon to become types or abstract ions.

My purpose Is not to prove that Rabelais. Moliere and salnt

-

Simon outrank the other great writers; that Is a question of stand-ards Of comparison combined with personal preference, mt eucha contrast as i have n:ade does Indicate that an author who pro-d^^ce. an Illusion of life must have greater freedom In the choiceOf hla modes of expression; he m,st speak a language which it-self has life and partalces of the nature of the creator and ofthe thing created.

,

Rabelais gave his Iraglnatlcn carte Manohe arong all thevertai klohes ot the renaissance and reveled In metaphore.. andsillies; no a,nhor ever Jâd freer range for Ms genius, Ani whenê read Rabelals.we read hln: withc.t stylistic prejudice, for wehave no conventional and sacred standard for his tl„e. The con-tent and the style Impress the»selves upon us as so Intimatelyrelated. so perfectly Ir harr.ony.that we cannot conceive of hishaving written In any other mnner.and we are ready to class thishllarlous.obscene.tewliderlngly exhuherant raconteur as a literaryartist. (1)

(1) Pierre deîa Jullilere: les linages dans Rabelais. T-^^^^-

ftO.^' Z R Pfe,,.Bfl.lefte. XXXVII, The general t.ypes of figuresin Rabelais correspond to the more materialistic onesOf Balzac. Rabelais shows for instance 363 comrarisonsto animals.

Hcllere m a soberer age ..ade free use cf the vivld.plcturesquecolloquial words and ,.odes of expressions. Modern orltlcls^ hasanswered the .any objections and ad.Us that an.author should havethe right to mê his character spea. the language that Is naturalto him. salrt-Glron.in as ™ch as he copied r.ore closely from

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50

nature, may not "be called a creator ir. the sair.e nieasrire as the

other two; his Imagination does not play so large a rart.liMt his

style recreates, If it does not create. His iren and women are

creatures of flesh and "blood and not the puppets of historical

accounts; the illusion of l^fe on the page of a hook is the sarce

and is equally difficult to procure whether the ncdel really ex-

isted or not, for in either case the immediate s«arcti in the con-

ception in the mind of the author. Indeed the representation of

actualities presents a peculiar danger in that the mind is fre-

quently not ahle to distiriguish the non-essential among the many

elements that crowd lh_^the consciousness. Saint-Cimon's style

caused considerahle sgajg^l wh^n the Mem.olr,s first appeared, and it

reseraDles in many ways that of Balzac,with bold figures of speech

and a disregard for grammatical and aestheticsîf niceties. (1)

(1) Such lines as these of Taine would seem to haê heen

written on Balzac himself : "(iette passion ote au style

t^rite f^ pudeur. . .Moderation, hon gont lltteralre, eloquence,

no"biepse,tout est emporte et noye... I^ ciil9lne,l 'ecurie.le

garde-manger, la maconnerie.la menagerie, les mauvals lleux,

11 prend des expressions partout. Il est cru,trivial,et

petrlt ses figures en pleine houe...c'est a ce prlx qu'est

le genie; unlquement et totalement engloutl dans I'ldee qui

l»a'bsorhe,il perd de viê la m.esure,la decence et le respect.

II y gagne la force; car 11 y prend le droit d'aller jusqu'au

"bout de sa sensation, d 'egaler les moux'-em.ents de son style !\

aux niouvements de son c6eur,.,ce style hizarre.excesslf, inco-

herent e, surcharge, est celui de la nature elle-merre; nul n'est

plus utile pour I'hlstolre de I'ame; 11 est la notâtion ' l\.-

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51

lltterale et spontanee des sensations 5 Essay on Saint-Simon

in E_8sai6A6 critique etldi^istclre (pp. 2^1-251).;rvv-

Gautler »ay&- of Falzac, : *La langne francalse.epviree pa^h

les classlques dn dix-septleme siecle.n'est propre lorsqu'on veut

s 'y conforiner qu'a rendre des Idees generales.et a peindre des fig-

ures convent ionnelles dans un milieu vague. Pour exprimer cette

mMitipllclte de details, de caracteres,de types, d' architectures,

d 'ajreutlaments, PaIzac fut oblige (5e se forger une langue speclale,

compof'ee de toutes les technologies, de tous les argots de la sci-

ence, de I'atelier.des coulisses, de 1 'amphitheatre mene. Chaq-'ie

mot qui disait quelqne chose etait le lDienvenu,et la phrase, pour

la recevoir.ouvrait une incise,une parenthese.et s r.allongeait com-

plalsamment, C'est ce qui a fait dire aux critiques superficiels

qu'^fne savait pas ecrire»— ll avalt.tiien qu'il ne le crit pas.un

style et un style tres "beau,—le style necessaire,"^^tale et math-

ematique de son idees(l)

(1) Portraits conteir-.poralns,p,110.

It is not true, however, that Balzac continued to think that he did

not have a good style, for he does not hesitate to affirm that only

he,aautier,and Hiigo Knew the French language.

In the alDOve quotation Gautier speaKs especially of techni-

cal tenrs which had already "been carried over into literature, in

the latter part of the eighteenth century and Balzac does make free

use of them. But they serve rather to give accurate, scientific

descriptions of material objects, of the milieu in which his char-

acters moved; they are an aid, "but used alone they "belong to the do-

main of scientific discussion rather than to literature. Balzac

needed something miore; he felt instinctively that his ideas and

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52

Impresslone could not "be adequately reproduced In others "by '".a

means of conventional French prose, and he could not take refiige

In poetry as did so many of his contemporaries for their n:08t pas^

sionate expressions, for r.elther his genius nor his su"bject matter

was poetic. He affirms In many places the author's right to coin

new woyds an^ expressions to sulthls Ideas. In speaking of some old

French words he says to his sister: "Quels Jolls motfei Exprlm-

ent-ils "bien ce qu'ils veulent dlrej ..^i-Qi.ii done a le droit de

faire aumone a une langue si ce n'est pas l'ecrlvaln?"( 1)

(-1-h- Vt>i-,5fXiV";p.52

In the Pontes drolatlcjues .where he wished merely to tell a story,

he had the happy Idea of going hack and borrowing the rich, pictu-

resque, and unfettered language of the sixteenth century which he

handles with masterly art and chaining effectiveness. "Pven here

he prohahly did not attempt an accurate reproduction of the lan-

guage of Rahelals; he sought freedom and not a change of masters.

Language was an instrument that had to he fashioned to his purpose ,

mt such a medium was not sultahle for m.odern suhjects and

the various philosophical and social problems that they involve.

Balzac's ideas on modern style are indicated in his criticism of

Stendhal, for whom he expresses unbounded adriration in so far as

the content of his works were concerned, hut "11 n'a pas soigne la

fo>-n.e; 11 ecrlvalt comire les olseaux chantent.et notre langue est

uhe scrte de Madame Honesta qui ne trouve rlen de "bien que ce qnl

eat irreprochahle,clsele,leche, "(2

)

( 2-^—-Laltres a l/atrangeT-e , II ,pp . J+91-2

He does not see how Stendhal could expect to express himself in

the simple, correct, colorless, flgureless style of the eighteenth

25

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55

century. ( 5)

(5) Balzac Is "by no means alcne In his desire to infuse new

tlood irto the French language. The matter had teen dls-

cessed in the Journals and parlementary detiates. Chateau-

briand, Itoe de iftael, Victor Wigo and otliers had hazarded in-

novations in vocabulary, syntax, and figurative creations,hut

when all is considered they had heen extremely conservative.

Stendhal Is an out and out reactionary In matter of language.

He says In Racine et ShaKesipeare ( 1825, P. 115 )• "H ne faut

pas innover dans la langue parcelque la langue est une chose

de convention, Lalssons cette glclre,a itoe.de stael.a liM.de

Chat eautrland, de Marecha/i^.-etc. II est sur qu'll est plus

vite fait d'lnventer un tour que de le chercher penlblement

au fond, d'une lettre provinclale ou d'une harangue de Pajiu.

Une langue est composee de ses tours non molns que de ses

mots, Tou.tes les fols qu 'une idee a deja un tour qui l»ex-

prlne clairement .pourquoi en produlre un nouveau? Cf.Prunot

In Petit de Jullevllle :Hlstolre de la langue et de la llt-

t erature franca 1 se , vol , V T 1 1 . "V,, 7 -r

There is a most Interesting paragraph in Louis Lamhert

which, thouih ohscure at tlir.es, throws light on Palzac's attitude

towards words as expressions of ideas. Louis Lamhert Is speaking

of the fascinating study of the origin and de^relopinent of words.

"L'asneiD'blage des lettres.leurs for<^es,la figure qu'

elles riunnent a un mot ,desslnent exactement ,sulv^nt le caractere

de chaque peuple.des etre^inconnus donf le souvenir est en nous.

Op-i. nous expllquera phllosophlquerrent la transition de la sensa-

tlon a la pensee,de la pensee au verhe.du verhe a son expression

(I ).y.Tff.tneo

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5^

hleroglyphlque,(3eg hleroglyphH4ies a I'alpnaiDet ,de I'alphatet a

1 'eloquence ecrlte.dont la "beaute reside dans nne snite d'lirages

claspees pariLes rheteurs.et qui sont comme les nieroglyphiîes de

la penspe? L 'antique pelnture des Idees hnrcalnes con^lgurees par

les fomes zoologlquea n'auralt-elle pas determine les prerr;lers

slgnes dont s'est servi 1 'Orient pour ecrlre ses langages? Puis

n'auralt-elle pas tradltlcnelleirient lalsse quelqoes vestiges dans

nos langues mod ernes, qui toutes se sont partage les detiris du

iperbe prliritlf des nations.vert'e irajestueux et solennel.dont la

majeste.dcnt la solennlte decrolssent a mesure que viellllssent

les socletes; dont les retentlssements si sonores dans la EllDle

hetraique.sl 'beau encore dans la Grece.s 'affal"bllssent a travers

les progres de nos civilisations successives? Fst-ce ^ cet anclan

esprit que nous devons les mysteres enfouls dans toute l4 parole

humalne? F'exlste-t-t-11 pas dans le rr.ot VRAI une sorte de rectitude

fantastlque? Ne se trouve-t-11 pas dans ê ijddt son "bref qu'll ex-

Ige une vague image de la chaste nudlte.de la slirpliclte d^ vral

en toute chose? Cette syllalDe respire je ne sals quelle fralcheur,

J»al prls pour exemple la formule d'une Idee at>Btralte,ne voulant

pas expllquer le pro"bleire par un mot qui le rendit trop facile a

comiprendre.coraire celuidu VOL, on tout parle aux sens. F'en est-ll

pas ainsl de chaque verte? Tous sont empreints d'un vlvant pou-

volr qu'ils tiennent de l»ame,et qu'lls lui restltuent par les mys -

teres d'une action et d'une reaction rcervellleuses entre la pa-

role et la pensee, Ne diralt-on pas d'un amant qui pulse snr les

levres de ea maitresse autant d 'amour qu'll lul en communique? Par

leur seule physionorile les m.ots raipKl)rtent dans notre cerveau les

creatures ûxquelles lis servent de vetement^^Z/b/o- S^^y )

Bfe«rtTPTr.V6-^-^

41?

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55

A"bout the same Idea js expressed "by Talne when he defends

the style of Ealzac : "Vos rnote sont de notations, ayant chacnn sa

valeur exacte.flxee par la raclne et ses alliances; les slens sont

dee synitoles dont la reverie capricleuse Invente le sens et l»ein-

plol, 11 a ete sept ans.dit-ll.a comprendre ce qu'est la langue

francaise. La verite est qu'il I'a etudle frofcndeinent .aicls a sa

facon,ccitF:e d'autres qu'on accuse anssl d'etre "barlDares, Ponr eiix

chaqrie mot est.non un chlffre.amis ^n eveil d» images: ils le pes-

ent,le retournent,le scandent: pendant ce temps un nuage d'eiro-

tions et de figures fugitives traverse leur cerveau. . .le ir.ot est

pour eux I'appel soudain de ce monde vague d 'apparitions evanouies "

( 1 ) Iouv^aux.._essaJ.s_ de,, crl t ijTj^B_e i4-2, ff

.

The central idea of the paragraph in Louies,jLarn^ert is that

every word presents to the mind an image of the thing that it rep-

resents, an idea which is elahorate^ln a way tha tillust rates two

striking characteristics of Balzac's mind,which may be called un-

scientifically scientific. He is intolerant of half-way affirma-

tions and tends to carry any principle to its ultimate conclusion ;

not only de concrete terms produce concrete images, tut even an: a"b-

fetract^ddijectlve such as true : and we know that he went even far-

ther and holds that the nam.es of people are an index to their char-

acter. Cecondly.ln his mania for logical explanation of all phe-

nomena,he imagines that the power of evocation resides In the ac-

tijal form of the word and of the letters composing it, and that

this resiJlts from the fact that formerly, writing ,the idea more or

lesB directly, which must have Influenced the form and arrangement

of the alphehetical symlDols that were su"bstit ited for them. A typ-

ical Palzac theory, an ingenious mixing of fact and fancy, l)ut it ^

shows us the necessity that Balzac felt for vivid expression.

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56

rHe claims tnat the literal expression has the power to evoke the

Image, Yjnt a few llneo ahove he has said the Impression made Tjyaa

word becomes more and more Indistinct as t?ou advance from the most'

ancient language towards the modern, and also that rhetorical Ima-

ges are the hieroglyphics of thought. He feels this so much that

in this very paragraph he uses numerous figures In order to ex- . .

presLi his ideai.

From what we have said of the naturS of figures of speech

it is evident that they, offer at least a partial solution of the

problem of stylistic revivification. The posslhlllties of figu-

rative creation are infinite in nurcher and variety. '>ve have al-

readj'- seen that Ealzac uses comparisons in order to convey Fiore

adequately, more strikingly,more palpahly the desired impression.

Note for example the vivid picture of the wretched abandoned Ra-

bouilleuse given hy this succession of figures. It all hut gtves

y^u^ the physiological reaction of disgust that you would feel in

heholding such a scene in real life : "Une femme.verte comnte une

noyee de deux jOTrs.et maigre comir.e l»est une etlque de^x heures

avant sa raort, Ce cadavre infect avait une mechante rouennerle

a carreaux sur sa tete depouillee de cheveux. Le tonr les yeux

etalt rouge et les paupleres etaient corame des pellicules d'deuf ••

3 33( MG

.

jj ,~5?^ . Also the figures furnish and escape valve for hta

plethora of ideas and his exhuherance of imagination : "Les con-

versations entre camarades etalent dominees par le rconde oriental

et sultanesque du Palais-Royal. Les Palais Royal etalent ^n Eldo-

rado d 'amour ou.le soir.les lingots couralent tout ir.onnayes . La

cessalent les doutes les plus vierges.la pouvaient s'apaiser nos

curiosites allumeesi Le Palais Royal et moi.nous furnes deux

5e.

9rf.t 92iov9 oJ 'tswo r sri,:f a£ri nolasfcuqxii Ixitft^J-tX en':' Jrr-j S:'iiJ5lo sH

fifi^Tjft'sLsm noieastq-rfii srf.t fjiRs serf Sff 9voo7; G9nll ^91 r .jtrtf.easml

.tsojnt firf* flitOTi soniivtj: Lrow ar. .toni.tB.tftni stom tnc sfont sftftioo&cf £»tow

-.^Ti.l Isol'ai.tferf'i ;ti3n.t 08l£ £n£,aT9£iom erfJ ef'tiiwocf s^BifgriBl ^nsionB

iDt<.~1 liosai 08 3iri[.t aXes'l 9H ^l^girorf.? lo BolrfLxylsofsirf «irfJ 9t£ aeg

-XS 0^ 'fsftto nl 89Tr'îl si/OTsr.trn esan 9rl rlgst.'g^Tsq; y.'iSiv ftiiifflr ni

.£9£il ail-' ...«9't:cf

fiDSsqa lo setx/^vjl'i 1o e-ir .t.'^ji Sit.* lo I;l£a svaii ev: .icrfw mot'tE

9rr.+ lo noi.tf'ioa Ir,I^T:r.q- £ Je^sl Jjs isllo v9r<J j£n'o Jn9tlvs al .Î

-fr§n lo RÎ.tillcrieaoa 9:^'T ,notiBoitlvl-'S'i oiiell\")H to mfildoiq

~lsi evsrf 9"" .vjsl'(r;v Mc t&o''nrr.rr nl ©.tinJtlni &is noloc&'io SYtiz'^

91001 Y-'^'''ô'^ '^•^ 'tsMo "r. enoel-if.q-Tioo aeair ossIM .tsriJ nsea Y.Xii>9't:

.nCi889Tg.Til ;:e'ii39f) 9ri:.+ xidBCiLzq B'xo^^YL:ini:>iitiE e":o!:':i^xê.tSf'teb3

-£f bBViobnc(Sc berioieiw 5rf.t lo 9'tr!.:tolg fiiviv sn'J 9l>jmJ3X6 -ôt s.toU

29vl.'^ .trrr' iiB .TT . ss'ftr^jii'i "Jo noieasooffa alKJ vcf npvt:ij sa/ff-illi/od'

ni lysl Lljjo-w ;/ov. ^xir(.t lex.rgal£ lo noIJoBe-T XsoiBOloJiaYrtq srfJ foy.

snt/ 91MO0 e.tTe'^,Sfn'ii9'^ 9nU"' : sliX Xesi nl 9ri908 b noiTa ^>I^X0l^:9Cf

ae-Tcrsrf vifot ec'-pX.t9 ont' Ja&'X 9111100 stiylCin is,e-t'Oi Xi/st 9'- s^von

9i'i9nn9Lrot 9 ;3-nsi-[c Siii onrr .1l3-"-B .t09lnx si^^b&bo 90 . .Jiofn £3 Jtibvb

XtfSy 59^ t-'O.t 9J .Xr9V9n:o 9fj 99XXi rrQCrSf) 9+S.t B3 tl'S XL'Iê'CTr.O B

" liLr9o•^ R9Xt'0i:XXeq a9f; 9^1.7100 lja9X£>t9 39'r9l'.-jtf£q- asl Js Qî.'O'^ .ti£.i9

alrt Tot 9-"-Xbv 9qB089 bn£ risXmif'i a9TcrT^jti sn'J oaXA .Q?t'. 't;..tiM)

-noo 89j« : nolJBrfls^ffii to 9GnBf9Jj:r.rfx9 ain tna aBsbi lo £i:oitt9Xg

l£.trf9lT0 ebno^ 9X -rrg R99nX!nofj .trr9i£.t9 89fisTBîB0 s-^Sne anoLlzri-^sv

-o^X'T fTf ^n*ii;.t9 Xbvq;" alBXB^ S9l .XBVoyi-aiBXe^ ^•*-'^crf^f-'Xui.rX;';^ .te

£.1 .a&Y£jinon :ûo.l ^nftir.ti.'oo eô^lX a9X,Tl0c; -.:.,. ^^ -x.uosw.* b or;BT

aon tsaXBge'e iaelBvrroq bI. 89;g'r9Xv BuLq s9X asJiroft 39X .JnelBcSftO

XXêft B9iT.t'l SirOn.Xoni .t9 XByoF aXBXB''' SJ 1 ^:'-'^-"r'.riP. ^9.+ IBOl'r'rD

91

asymptotes ^llrlgeeG I'nne vers I'aître sans pomrolr se rencontrer "

(LV,p.^l-«^. Or ."'Voyez par qnelles voles nons avons rrarche I'Mn

vers 1 'autre; quel aimant nons a dlrlges snr 1 ocean 3es eanx

amereSjVers la source d»eau donee, coulant an pleds des monts snr

nn saTole. palllete.entre deux rives vertes et jflenries, ^r»avons

nous pas.comire les mages, snlvl la meme etolle? Kons void devant

la creche d'ou s'eveille un divln enfant qui lancera ses fleches

an front des arbree nus.qul nous ranimera le monde par* ses oris

joyeux.qul par des plalsirs incessants donnera dn gout a la vie,

rendra aux nnits lenr soinrnell,anx jours leur aliegresse, Q-il done

a s^rre chaque annee de nouveaux noeuds entre nous? ITe sommes-

nous plus que frere et soeur? Ke deliez jamais ce que le del a

reuni.^- Les sou ffranees dent vous parlez etalent le grain repandu

a flots par la main du semeur pour falre eclore la molsson de.-ja

doree râr le plus teau des soleilSo Voyez' Voyez I N' irons-nous

pas ^nsemtle tout cnelllir lirin a TDrin»lLV.^.~93^. The Impression

given l->y such passages may he painful at times, hut they represent-

a 8uper4-ahundant vitality, the overflow of a highly developed sensi

hillty and should he judged in their setting as regards the worK

and the author,(l)

(1) Compare Saint-Preux excusing himself for figures used

in a fornier letter : "Pour pen qn'on ait de chaleur dans

1 'esprit, on a hesoin de rceiâphores et d 'expressions figu-

rees pour se faire entendre. . ,11 n'y a qu »un geonetre et un

sot q^Tl puissent parler sans figures. . .Mes propres phrases

me font rire.je I'avoue.et je les trouve ahsurdes,grace au

soin que vous avez pris a leo isoler; rcais laissez-les ou

je les al mlses,vous leg trouverez claires.et meme energiqres"

La nouvelle Heloise , I I , 1

6

nrf'I snoTE.TT aaovB srroff a&lov aellstrp t£'i ssvoV": tvO . (-{^. ct. vj ^

xiroe B-f; nssoo'X Trre as:yiTiJ': £ sxfon .tnarffifi lenp ;fj'T^tfr.'I e-tsv

trrs B.tnOTT e«>f aJSetq- i'B d'nr>If/oo,90TJoI:' yfis^fj soTffoa bI ai^'-êe-TeTiB

:rnjBV8f; tolov srroT/f feiioJs soiorn £l ivlrjB, assent sel s.ruTioo , erq- aj/ori

ssriosl*! S6S £T9on£>I xifp .tn£ln& nlvlft nv slllsvs'a jLfo'/: er'osTo J3l

elto E93 't^q sJbnoiTi f»I stsnlxiBT af/on iFp.ax'n aetcfts esfi JnoT" us

,9iv f;l E JUQ-^ vt jatennof: s^nseason:! atialiilT eeb tsq InpjXjfsy.ot.

oijob i"P . 9S5e'r,53©li£ tfêl Sfroi, xirB.Iisfftinoa Tifsl a.tit(ri xirr, Brfifinst

-as^Tioa sT'T faxfori st.tat Bfitrson xtrfevrrort ftf^ ssnnjs 9trp£rfo SfTâ s

c Isio 91 si'-p 90 alBî^sil sslisl ST4 Ttffpoa -te stgTl &vi p.a.tLq aijon

tr£in,6T?T rfi^^.Tg el .IrfslctP seltsq arov .tact, aeoastllrros eoJ - .laret

Br,9f. noaaiO'Tt £l siolos STi;'! T0O7 -ti/saips ifb nicai r,I "t-sq Biol"! s

at/on-ano":! 'lii jsay.oV jssyoV .alleloa asti M£6cf aulq el tgo- ''9toi)

noissft'rqmi 9i-fT .(.j?-P\cj;.VJf "nifcf £ nl'X^' TJtllisi'C ^r/ct 9lcf:n&gn^- sBq

^.tnsae-Tqfr'f vsi^.t .tr/i'.aQiTii.t >t£ Ifrlniisa 9cf v.c.n 89§i388£q no!.'a ycf nsvt^^

i<2nss B9qol9vsr> ylrtgft^ u I0 wolttsvo 9i'.+ ,y,JJ:i£î:v ;fn££rij'rr£-'te!i.r/'ri ,s

X'to^y 9ff.t sfitssst ar. lyiLtitea tlsrt.t ni bsîbvl scf tili/orfa £n£ y.tlij:(f

( I ) . TOrf Jff/j sff.? fin£

oBff a9Tfr,5iJ:'i tol' lIsamL^f S^niat'oxs x.iiST:^~Jr!i£8 s-tBq'-ooO (X)

anfif- ti:r9l£rfo 9.5 .?i£ no'c^p t'eq t;-fO<^" : •tstJsx 'rf'^n'fol 3 fii

-tr§lt snolsactqxs'f) .ts a ©tonqx 5^9.11 9Jj nloaecf £ no, Ji-tg.'iS'

I

rx; .ts s-^.j&fToes nv* vp b yVn ii. . ,6"cf;ne.tn9 eiisl ee 'ti/oq ass-^:

asGiJtrfq astqonq a9M. . .Be-frsjil annp, T9lTi;q .tneaeirq .t"p Son

L'B 903T>},a66trfacr£ evi/OlJ 891 9 f. J9,9X'0V£M &(,,Gtil. .tnol S"!)

no a9l-S9S8l£l si£'.i iiBioe.i 09i n alTq 59vb afov arc nice

a3'pIST9rT9 9m9m ,1^,3911.610 S&19VtfOT,f 891 RirO •, 89SIJ! IC êl 9^

rt J , 1 1 , 98l Ql9H 9jj:9Vron. Hi

5«

Balzac then was drawn instinct I'rely to the flgnre of speech

because It seemed to fiarnlsh a more adequate expression Tor cer-

tain phases of his genius; and though he Imade many mlstaKes.we

cannot say that he frilled In his purpose. I shall discuss this

point, as to the effect of the style en the reader, later on, giving

he re, however-, a quotation from Salnte-Beuve,who certainly cannot he

accused of |avoratile prejudice. His praise Is given grudgingly

and with restrictions: "li est un peu comme ces generaux qui n'em-

portent le molndre position qu'en prodlgant le sang des troupes ,

(c'est I'encre seul qu»ll prodigue) et qu'en perdant fedaucjsttp de

monde. itols hien que I'economie des moyens dolve compter, I'essen-

tiel apres tout c'est arrlver a un resultat,^! )M.de Balzac en malnfee

occaslon^est et demeure vlctorleuxjMy^yTl cominence si hien chaqaie

recit.il nous circonvlent si vivement.qu'il n'y a pas iroyen de re-

sister et de dire non a ses promesses. Tl nous prend les mains, 11

nous Introduit de gre ou de force dans chaque aventure.y7"-en s ' im-

perii errt ,_on froisse la page sous la inaln,inal8 on y revlent est ermi / \

enfin,entralne on se penche malgre sol vers ce gouffre Inassouvl."^

(1) Portraits contemporalne, Il,p,3l3

"^^^-;:Sii:U!LLUiu44-Ueru:tys&<^5M-2,note and p. 351

v/hat higher praise can an author receive than that he has gained

his ends, that he has held your interest, imposed his ideas upon you,

and made you accept his criticisms In spite of yourself. J?:ch

praise concerns the style as well as the content .whatever the in-

tention of the critic, for such an impression could not he produced

if the style were not in harmony with the content. That is all we

can rightly asX of any style. Brinetlere says r^Trop souvent 11 n'a

reussi a exprimer sa pensee qu'au moyen d'une multitude do metaphores

aii'^'.t BBfTCBiti Iluria I .saoq-Tiq ei-rf nl l)eLic1 Sii t>:flJ- y.na .tonnô

^xX'l^.no -re.-tfil.fSfiissT orfj no QlYj'd ef-CT "to Joetls erf.t oJ 8r.,.tnioq;

9cf d'onn£0 ylniri^TSO ori"\©vrrsq'-e;Jnlfl3 niOTl noI.:£joirp .B,,i9v&v/0f{,9t9rt

'V

vlgnlsj^j/^s nsvi^^ 8jt ealJStT aiH . eoifii/Lstg 9lcf£iov£-.t to £93J.foos

-ni9'n Itfp xrrCTsns;^ sen sranoo I'eg n;/ .tae il» ranoi Joii.Jee-i: nJi-v fins

ji 88qrro«[.t asl) ^se fl i"n£7-}If)0Tq[ nsVtrp noi-tlaoq stfifiicffl '9I Jn6./''toq

9Jb cf*caoj'ja«4 JriBLteg ne'i'p oS ( 9cr,-^J:r)oig Il'trp iFsa eicrtf^'I J-se'o)

-ftGESf^'.r.teJ-q-^Tior) 9vio5 arfsvoin asfc eiuonooe'I 9i:fp net 6 aiBTi .'=»f)nuin

s :Jnia'r; n?' 0£Sl£'r e.h.lvlf i&,.t£:JItfae'f na £ tsvlTts oae'c* :ft.ro^ F:6'rq£ I9i.t

sirpBifo fT.9j:rr tB eoneafiTioo IT„>y î\)^x^9iô.tc.iv ©Mremsr; :tB JaenoiBsooo

-S'i 9fc neyofn ajsq s v'n II • trp, .tn9n;9vxv ia .rnftivnoofln at/on H.îoftt

Xl .anisiVi 891 r)n9Tg acrori IT .afjaaenotq asa s non 9Ttf.i sfi J9 te.l8l8

-ml-*-??- fTd vV'®'^^''^'^^"''^'^ ei'p'fi'io ancft sotoI Bb vo 9'':§ efc .tii't'O'cJiit afon

\ OTIS tB^ cfn9t^''9t y no alGin.nlBm bL ar/oa s^sq el saaloil: no.Jnslxhfiq

r'l;y''.-f'"'tf085.sr!l BillvQT-i 90 8197 i08 9T:^l3,T! srionsg 95 ffo fi-^t 01 Jf.G , nllns

\€^^5.c[,II<aîr>•toqlêJnoo aJiinJioT: (I)

I c ? . T J^n£ 9 .ton , 5-M j^ . q >«-6^ iST©^ riÎ s;mjiifia<r~-(-^-l

!)9ni£s seri 9ri .^BrfcT nr,ri.? 9vi90St TonMus n£ ni50 eal£iq_ -f9r!slr< Jiifl^V

.t'oy nogr- 3£9!:Jl airf Bsaoqitil , .tRsi9JnI -[(foy Msfi sBrf srf .J^ris+.aJjns sirf

itDT^ .T:l9a'Tf-'oy lo 9*173 ni aâioiÎto airi .iq-900£ x;oy sliGiii ftns

-nl. srfl t9''9.tj?r<v.',^ns.+noc erTcT 3B Hew af. eiyia ertJ sn-r&onuo eaiiitg

£>90t'/)ot''T 9cf .ton fclf'oo noiaa-^tofffil ns rtocfs fot.oi.tiro 9ri.t to noitneJ-

9'/' llB 2i JsrlT .J^ns^tnoD er^t rf.ti^" ynonii^ri ni .ton 6t&w sly J a erf-t 11

i:;»ii 11 t'nsvcroa qotT": ay£B 6'T9lt'9Ar-t^: .sly.ifi yns lo )fsB yLti-f^jl-T nBo

asT0ri:qB.t9'n 96 8t'r.?l.tItTO snr* t nevmi f/r.' crp 99an9g ss -tsfnltq-xs l Iaa;.r9-\

5f? .

qu 1 approchent du gallraat las " ( 1)

;

(1) Honore de Balzac, p. 29U

but these very rcetapliors give an Impression of vigor, or material

life.tney relieve the monotony and chill of enumeration of detail

and alDstract analysis, they keep onr irlnd alert "by the necessity of

forming and relating concrete Images, hy the continual occurrence

of the unexpected which we must fit into the trend of thought.

Ealzac's world, his philosophy, even his spiritnallsin and metaphysics

are all materialistic and could not possibly he expressed in js^ire-

ly abstract terms; his style is an organic and necessary part of

his worlc,anc3 should not "be criticized without taking this fact

into account. But "before we can pass final Judgment on the merits

and demerits of Balzac's figures we roist attempt to explain th4lr

character hy their relation to Balzac and his subject matter.

,•(!)" Br.!.lain! I£:^ vb o-ner:oo'f<ii).B Ivi

1* P ^ . q , BS i fi^r 9 5 et or;OK ( I

)

Ili3.t9ft to rroJi.tBTsmtrns lo Illffo f>nj3 ynoJononT eri^f svsilst ysrfJ.s'i.tl

"TO Y^lKssosrt srf.t vcf ^tslr. tin.tri ttro .;y99>': vsrfJ'.aiciylBnB JoîJ'acfF. J^nii

eoris-nT'Ooo iBfrnl.tnoo Bf<..t v^^.asi^BniJt ©.teTonoo §ni.t£XST bnc -^ni^xio'l

..trfîror^.t lo Lnet^ erfJ o.tnl "il ^tatrm svr rfoirf?; J&ft.Jos.-rxsnr/ ftr(.+ "jo

-etiq ^-t f) &???=' '5T^x?! ecf ylcTlBaO'T .ton tlrroc t^f^.E oJ:.+!-"2ilBi-i:s.t£;ni IIb e-^c

1o .ttr.g ytrassosn fins oiar-sto ns si eiy.tH sirf janits-t io£tiH(JG yl

:tort Bir<.t ^tt£:i ^rror^ti;'* tssiolJiTO sd" Jorr tdL'Ofla bait.Jftov/ 8ir(

s.rttf^.'n ftfl.1 no .Inev.T^bul mnn aasq nô sw sTolscf .Jen: ..tni'ojjos oJni

Ti^rf-t ninlqxe 6.t ;tq;\i9J.tn ia;tn sw 86t;{;>aJ-1 s'obsIhr: "ô EJl'r'=*:ff9fj ftns

Chapter IV,^

raSLATION OP BALZAC'S FIGURES TO I-fIS PSYCHOLAoY.

The figures of Balzac, then, are the result of an effort.consclouiis

or otherwise, to render his expression more vivid and vigorous, to'

reproduce more exactly his own sensations In thc> ralnd of the read-

er, we have seen, however, that very often his figures do not pro-

duce the impression that he evidently intended they should, that

they conceal or "becloud his thought instead of expressing It, that

they are revolting to our sensihllltles. This chapter and the next

will 'r^e an attempt to explain these ^iflSWis ny Isolating certain of

the Influences which have comhlned to produce the figures such as

we find them, we have already, in Chapter T I, treated this question

in so far as It concerns the psychological process that results

iTrmediately In the production of a figure; what we have to say now

is supplementary to the features already noted, and at the same tine

it serves to explain them, in as much as we are getting deeper into

the psychological nature of the author. It is an elusive suhject

and as complex as human nature itself; we cannot hope to he ex-

haustive, nor can we affirm anything more than certain well defined

tendencies,Which, while incapahle of mathematical proof .present

plauslhle solutions for the literary phenom.ena which we are dis-

cussing. The prohlem Is slrcpl ifled, however, i:)y the fact that what

we have to explain are faults and excesses rather than excellence.

It is easier to explain tne fall of an eogle than its flight.

In the first place we must rememher that Balzac's attl-

tnde towards life is in general anything hut irieallstlc; and the

fact that a figure Is displeasing to us frequently means, not that

the figure is improper from the sVtndpolnt of the author, hut that

c^.

"''•r!0.lO"riVRiT P.T'^ O'T 'iT/l'TT

ten

to r

ioJt.t

iaastq

[ijt.f sti.; .:• hoB^t ,. otxfjBSl ©ffJ" o;}" xiBix'ie'jiQlqqne el

iSnt t'^qsel!) gnlJJsg stb 9w b :3£ rrl.insricr alBlqxQ oi as'nfjg -î

cfo&tcftfs B-rUirls HB ai n .torlJXJB Brii sn iBOlaolorfoYaq srfi

.tneestq.looTq lBoJt;tenierfJBin "to sicffiqxjonl sllrfw.rfolrfWjaslonsJineJ

ew flolrfw snsmonsjtq Y.tfitsJtl sff.t tol 8nojt«tLrIoe aicflaireXq

Jb::"' ôi3l eifit Ajcf.tevswort^fiemigfJiiB «1 mslcfotq SffT .saiaax/o

.eonsXisoxs rusrtJ terCtBt aseasox?- i ets nlBlqxe o.f svb/I sw

, ^^{sm Piit nBrf^ 91^59 ns to LLBt eff.t nifiXqx© o* t©l3,es p.i tT

-Jt.JlB a*o«sXBa jBrt^ •tecrortBrast ^faum ©w 9DsXq J'atll erftf nl

©rf^ fins ;oJt*e ilBsM Jircf snlff^y.nB iBts/tes nl ei slix eMswct efctfJ

itBri:f ôn.enBftrfi rtX^nswps't' y^tBB^lqas i^ri:i cfoBl

:fr>ff,t .tjrcf.torfJyB erf.i "to J; m-IJ .tiotl -csqotqnl ei stifsn erf^

60

we are not willing to accept the conception of life which produ-

ced the figure. Balzac's figures are flesh of his flesh, and they

lacK certain qualities of delicacy .just an he does; and frequent-

ly this fact is sifTlcient explanation for the choice of a compar-

ison.

I. Influence of the characters on Balzac and on each other.

Many figures that seem lirporper may "be explained "by the man-

ner in which Balzac conceived and executed his novels. Anecdotes,

testimony of friends, and his work Itself show to what extent he

was otsessed ty his characters. Fe talked of them to his friends

as of real rren and women, discussing their characters and their

futures. He would shut himself up for long seasons , sustaining

himself almost entirely M'lth coffee, at home for no one "but ffrandet

,

Brid,âu,or Rastignac, living the life of each character, thinking

his thoughts, experiencing hisljoys and sorrows. The force, verity,

and Illusion of life In his creations result largely from this

atlllty to suTDordlnate his own personality, to lose himself in his

characters. But as a result of this process, we find m.any expres-

sions coming from the pen of Balzac that would "be natural only in

the mouth of one of his characters. The figures in iin_menage_de

garcon are usually such as we would expect of the leading character,

Philippe Brld^dtt. La I'îse dn depart ement is composed in a style

full of conceits and vulgar pretention such as constantly arise In

the conversations of Diana Pledefer and of the journalist Lousteau .

From, these two Balzac seems to "borrow such expressions as: "Sa

ro"be de cham"bre. . .ce prodult incestueiix d*un anclen pardessus

chine de Mariame Pledefer et d 'une ro"be de feu îe uradame le la

Eaudraye^Cp.'TS^^); "Horticulture des viiigarlte8"(pl^

^ ^G:

^) 9M5;i6!n *T"

ISj-r

^nein;

-.1

':nGli9qxs.a.tfi;"

& sef?/! ..sj

ij-pjet^rio

£ nootsa

sg;qiXinT

^i^.q^

61

"Sa ferame executalt nne senate de paroles et des duos de dlalec-

tiqiie" ("pTfH; "Cos exortltantes cJepensea a 'esprit et cJ 'attention"

(p.î^; "Son fenilieton dans un journal qnotidlen qui resseiT;T:)lait

au rocher de Syspne et qîi tom'bait tous lea lundis sur la "barioe de

sa plume "(f^^Soii. L'lllnstre Saudlssart is especially striking in

this respect, as there is only one character of importance. If we

compare the figures of Gaudissart with those of Balzac in this

conte we find it hard to differentiate there. The same is true for

the style as a whole; we might imagine that we are reading the me-

moirs of Gaudissart.

There are possible advantages in this styl|3tic conta-

gion. The description of a Homais in the prose of a PlaulDert is

not altogether aloove criticism, for a dual impression is produced

on the reader "by the character and ty the style, and we see the

character only through the style, that is, through the eyes of the

author who stands aloof. In one of the ahove mentioned novelP'. of

Balzac the impression on the reader is single and morevlvid, for

the style and the character are the same; the style simply fur-

nishes a harmonious stage setting for the actors. On the other

hand, however, an author who composes in thsl, manner loses the use

of his critical faculties, he loses the perspective that, is neces-

sary in order to restrain and correct his imagination. Also, In a

worK where there are several distinct characters, one character or

one type is llKely to dominate the tooK and the style. Such Is

the case with Un menage de garcon.even to the point of affecting

the very speech of the other characters. The "brutal exrresslons

of Joseph, the artist, are expeclally striking, and his figure* in

every case hut one are hased on crude puns or a cynical materialf

Ism. In the Lyg dans la bailee. priests. raids. ITatalieând Lady

•. r, c ,7

!

'^ \s(^

We,

J>:tn:-T.n'>':. i^.rt:: V" ^- p' ^r- ;<-:f:. -r/'^c ni'fr.t

fi'f-'' ^f r- '•J'noo

,3-.-,t'-.- crft r-,'i- y'v;•^-^;,« egGâ autaJtnorrttBrf b asrtai/f

... .;,.......,. -,.-...; ... ,:.....;^.j ., , .iiw tOrf^XJB r£B,t9V9WQrt,ftn£rf

.TiiBtitasi oJ" •tofino ..... „..>.«

inlJoa^l*. .-.. ...^..\ .... ... ., . ...s ,^> . .:4j3,

r^9ifl,nTT riJi'v seBo &.rlJ

ij. :,. I ,(Â.i...ij. I. .. V. r, .._»...«...I

...•- -.,»,.-. .... . .-,*-^.. .. .^ # ».W

- '"''<5^Brn ......:•.,.. .A v^. ."' "? » T^'T <^hxrtl> no. £>9Rf''"'' '^"f" ^^'Ô -t'"'*^ îrT^-.r! v-i'-.vc

6-

Dtjdley all speaK tne language of Pellx and Madame de lIpTtsiviii,and

only the caref.aiy constructed character of Y.,6e l«:ortsauf stands

out In strong contrast. There seeirs to "be a certain Inflexibili-

ty in the mind of Balzac^whlch rendered difficult for him the

quicK changes of tone and point of view in his novels, and which

must have "been a constant hindrance to him In his dramatic efforts ,

One of the merits of Eiigenle arandet Is that her^ he seems to have

overcome this difficulty. Three charact ers, arandet ,E)igenle and

Nanon stand out with especial distinctness, and "by their mutual

reaction they seem to hold the author In restraint.

It Is v;orth while to note here the use of figures hy

the characters in this novel. There are some forty in the speech-

es of arandet; a large number of them are hanal.even to the point

of helng colloquial lsm.s, "but they express excellently the attitude

of mind of the man,his miatter-(^f-fact "brutality and ohsesslon "by

the idea of money : «I1 faut lalsser passer la premiere averse"

[jTears of Charles for his fatheifv^95 ); "Est-ce que nous ne vlvons

pas des mortsfae the crows]? Qu 'est-ce done que les successions »(

(p?T^); "TouB ce gens-la me servent de harpons //ft pecher''(p,^iJ

"Je serai depouille,trahl,tue,devore par ma fi lie "(p.4-9^; "Les

ecus vlvent et groulilent corcme les hommes. Ca va.ca -"-ientjCa sue,

ca produit "(p.l-fu-); "Qnand elle aural t dcre son cousin de la tete

aux pleds^^-^l-^?^. The money element is present ' ;. majority of

his figiires.hut the most interesting are the ca^a.^ where he ex-

presses other irteas ih terms of finances: "Je ne veux pas qu'll

t 'arrive malheur a I'echeance de ton age^Cp.TT^ll; or the more ha-

nal "II est sept heures et demie,vou» 'levrlez aller vous serrer

dars vo Ye portfeuille"(p.l-l^. _j^ I- /. /

Fiig^nie uses four figures; they are hanally poetical^ and in

-- ..'-: . Je.Q't.Jn-oo s«OT^B ;/ii cTtfo

i - -. :)8-(;9f)fIS-'- r.of ,w|OBSJ:iJH lO ftfltm 9fW -fll "^J

lolrTw R«B,8X9von Rj-' if '."^jIv to ........ r^xxs .$n;o.r |o sssnerto 3to2wp

. '.1"T^ oLt.qnc.Tf Rf _ 9orfr<'rf.r^t-< ^njB^SnOQ ^ HSSGT eVBIf J-afM

. :o£t£rfo 99tffr .^£jr"''

,.. s^isooisyo

-ftoesq:; .... ... ,.:..- ..:... -- ateJ-duSiBrto '*

,. . . ....-,-. ;..: ....... ^., ,.« .asiomorf 861 ©irajjoo ;ffseHX/ffotg .t9 ^'iisvlv axroe

ro<., ;• +e

63

one case rather lurticrons : "Le malhenr vellle pendant qn'll

clort*(p.^f^§.); ".Te ro'einlDarqneral snr la fol de votre parole pour

traverser leg dangers de la vie a I'abrl de votre nom"(p,-?594.

The nine figures used ty Nanon are admlra'bleêxpresslon of the

plain-spoken, devout peasant : "Tl est etendu comme un veau anr snn

lit et pleure coiTFe une Madeleine "(p.-99-1; L'enf-mt dort comrê un

cherutiln. . .corrre s'j.l etalt le rol de la terre .. .comire -"in 8a"bot

(p.jî-g-^; "Tl y en a qui, pus y ^levlennent vleux.pus v dnrclssent ;

ntals lui [Grand etj, 11 se fait doux coniTre votre cassis, et y ra-

ljonnlt(p.lT6-).

The other figures are jn harmony with their users. De-

serving of special comirent are the eleven metaphors in the letter

of nrandefs hrother, which, though very materlalistic.hecome poetic

in their somhre, Impassioned vigor : "J'aurais voulu sentir de

saintes promesses dans la chaleur de ta main, qui m.'ei)t rechauffe"

(p. 35^; "II lgnoralt,rar "bonheur.que les dernlers flots de ma vie

s'epanchaient dans cet adieu"(pr53^; " -ê voudrais avoir le "bras

assez fort pour I'envoyer d *un seul coup dans les cieux.pres de

sa mere * ( p . 5^) . These expressions seem very natural wnen we con-

sider the situation of the writer.

I,i\ - yigures j-esulting from the sutstitution of imagination

fox G"b s ervat ion

.

If we examine the tatle given atove with a v]ew of determin-

ing what purposes guided Balzac in the use of figures of speech, v;e

are stnicl: a ' once with the fact that practically all his figures

have to do with mankind. It is tri:e that one of the innovations

of Balzac in the novel was the Importance that he gave to the ma-

terial surroundings of his characters; and the description of

l^

tlfoq £•

£13 I-SndCi u''

oiiffoo

. . .njtui/tsifo

.^-T^C. , 1.)

'"^ .^.tt'

6J+

physical oTojecte talces up a consl(lera"ble part of these three

novels, though he aoes not go to tlttyîr-^B as in some of the others.

Biit in dealing with physical ohjects.he does not feel the need of

flgnfatlve expression, for the literal term hrlnps up a concrete

image; and Balzac,who had an admlrahle vision for the external

aspects of things and a vocahnlary overflowing with all the tech-

nicalities to express -"hat he sees, feels that he can give a more

accurate irripresslon of the ohject in question hy a detailed rte^

scriptlon than "oy comparing It t6 other ohjects or "by Irrhulng it

with life \)y persor!lflcatlon»

Tt is in dealing with the more intanglhle phases of life

that he feels the need of figurative language, of an expression

that substitutes a conctfete image for an abstract coAcept or spir-

itual phenomena. In other words he is not a psychologist, he has

not the power to âlnt in abstract terms the internal working of

a complex ^zfoul. His greatest creations are ti-iose in v/hich the

character expresses Itself almost entirely in actions; thesp ex-

ternal manifestations he chooses vrith an admlrahle I'HStlnc^.so

that the character seems alive and real for us; hut the psycholo-

gy remains simple, composed largely of the generalizations of ele-

mental principles.,These characters, moreover, are materialistic :

Palzac moves at ease in the rroney-paved courts of orandet's hraln.

The difficulty comes when it is a question of a delicate and Ideai

Ized character. He says himself in the Lvs dans la vallee >r

"Loreqv-^'ine vie ne se compose qîe d 'act ion et de mouvement.tout est

Dlentot silt; mals quand s'est passee dans lea regions les plus

elevees de I'ame.son histolre est dlffuse''(p.'^5^.

m the portrayal of character Balzac relies largely on

i^cS

Stf{

--(gxe J:

"I J .

no Yis."

65

a principle whlc>i is derived from the theories of Lavater.for

v'hoin he had a most profound respect. Lsvater holds that the char-

acter of a inan Is reveiaed.not only "by his featnres.hiit hy his

dress, his house, >ils furniture ,all his ir lllen ; the little noolc

of the world Ir which he fits and which he shapes to suit himself,

reacts In turn upon him until it hecoines his very Image. (1)

(1) John Caspar Laratar : Kssal sur la Physlognoir^ e. La

Haye 17«3-If?03, voi.l,p.27

df.F. Baldensp^Ter : "Leo Theories de Lavatar dans la llt-

terature francaise," in Btudes d'hlstolre lltt.e;rai re.ge

s^rle.Balzac stoutly defended these theories, and, In applying their., he

arrange^ so admlrahly the ml i leu of his charactere that their

psychological weakness hardly appears. They fit so naturally into

the scheme of things that they seem to "be a part; remove Madame

Vanquer from ner pension and she h-^comes a mere shadow, we are in-

Slined at times to "believe that Palzac would deny the existence of

individual psychology, holding that a man's mind worlcs hy fixed

laws according to the influences of his surroundings; and it is

dou.ijtless true that the author's materialistic conceptions hlndej^

ed his developing any extended psvchologlcal facility.

put ,st-^-ange as it may see/r at first thought, it is the

inner m;an that interests Balzac prirrarlly. Kis purpose is to paint

souls, and even to go "beyond the sphere of the ordinary playchologf

leal novel^to paint them, in their deepest and most spiritual ex-

pressions—in a word he aspires to metaphysics. And ao ifrhen he "be-

gins an extended description of physical ©"bjects, he is careful to

tell us that it is necessary for the proper unlerstandlng of the

drama which is to follow. Froni this external shell he helieves

ui.';' , ::*9*T!;A4'i;s" . îsjsrftvet: el naqi b lo tsôB

t^rij!; :;f?/ Lj3* Bdi'' - ux-cow^fi-'

.iS.:i..oerf .ft Li-: -f scJofiGt

TfoiK"^ Crf.rl.J ats.tOiBtfi-to sitf 1» treXIIgi sriJ YJ^tfSî-'^•&--•

-^f/ftirf 6f[oJ:.?q-eofTO0 oiêilJJlteJBm B"xOittfm Wii4)srr >s»I^crfrof)

-'tsniM- ,3Xir;o8

erf.t 'to STfifciivv^'TQX'r*.' "i&qotq orf.? lo't v.'^-sefi&oe.a b.i it * j^.".t

aev©ii= . rerfe X6nt®:fxe airfJ >aot'i .woliol ot ai .:..:\L'(b

,^66

he can penetrate to tne germ of life wltl^in.as ne tells ns In the

opening page of racino cane ; "Chez ir.ol I'o'hservatlon etr.it (leja

devenue lnt^'ltlve,9lle penetrnJt I'arre sans negllger le iarps;

ou pintot elle salslssalt si "bien les detniis exterleurs»qn'elle

allalt snr-le-champ an dela; elle fee <lonnalt la facnlte de vivre

de la vie ae^l'lndividu sur laquelle elle s'exercait." He tries to

project within the soul his vision for externais, and in doing so

he Is departing from the realm of otservatlon for that of liragl-

natlon. Iitaglnatlon Is the mother of figures, and so we are not

Butprlsed to hear Valentine say in the peau de <2hagrln : "L*ex-

ercise de la pensee.la recherche des Wees, les contemplations

tranquilles dP la science nous prodlguent d'lneffahles dellces,ln •

descrlptlhles comme tout ce qui partlclpe de l» intelligence, dont

les phenomenes sont invlslhles a nog sens exterieurs. Au.ssi

sommes-nous toujours force<^s d'expliquer les mvst'^res de I'es-

prit par des corcparaisons materlelles. •rfeJ^._

While we are discussing the ;^ignres resulting from the

substitution of imagination for ohs-er/ation it is well to note

also that often the whole character is largely a product of imag-

ination,which plays_a much larger part in the work of Balzac than

we are sometimes inclined to admit. Hs is far from tne note-hoolc

m.ethod of his naturalistic followers, a method which limits the

operation of the Imagination and especially that phase of imagi-

nation that results in figurative creation. As has frequently

teen stated, It would have heen a physical impossihillty for Paiz4c

tootservej^he two thousand characters that he created and followed

through the vicissitudes of lifej/with the minuteness of a Zola or

a Goncourti; the great arrc|nt of his production, the endless

'^nsq- si:- '^

oils, 671 ^tyJnl &ufi&vsi>

t> ri<j 1 .t.&I .Vuiii. .^ . o ii -s^iaOt S;.iiP9"( Sit «

;

; i &t oa i^ "I i^

tsfr , '^t^Xa ap'"'

.itJtf^-Javai Bel is.vi, --oi auiH'.^ici''

"-teiroLio't oD^kistifi&n »tn tQ b.

67

correction and re"'orKing,hl9 financial otllgatlonB and adventures,

nis social duties vvculd not have left hliri the tlrr.e. aantler Is

the first, I ifêlie-'/e^tc use the very fIttlng terr.. vovant . In con-

nectlon with him.d) What he olDserves is merely a starting point

(1) .Jor.traits cent empora Ins p. 63

for his imagination; it may lie dormant in his loraln for years, •

fermenting, as it were. He claims to tie a^ble to reconstruct a

whole human Tseing fr-m. a single trait, just as Cnvler reconstruct-

ed an extinct anircal from a single iDone, Thus Camllle Maupln

"bears "but little resemhiance to rêr model, Oeorge Sand. Similar-

ly such characters as Rastlgnac, Valentin, Pel jx fle Vandernesse,and

Louis Lamtert are evjdently in part tJiographlcal, (?) yet a close

(2) Cf.the testimony of a frland of Ealzac in the years of

his literary apprenticeship :Jnles rle T>etlg>ly in

La France centrale ('l e •pioi s )^ .]T!ars Ifl^S cited 'by

K*^>t**^<ru-V . Hist .pp. 277-2^1

study shows comparatively few concrete aimllrvrities. Similar in-

stances might he cited for other authors, especlallj'' of the romanv

tic period; only the r'lethod differs, ^'e may have a narrative fol-

lowing closely the facts, with sore of the ugly spots gilded over

as in the Confession ci '^m enfant & y 5iecle ;we rny have an ideal-

laiitdion as In .Crra3ielle .or a symhol as In Faust . Balzac's method

seem.s to have heen tc start from som.e characteristic, passion, as-

piration, or circumstance in his ovm life,which he Isolates, siir-

rounds with the necessary elements of a seporate existence, and

carries mercilessly to Its logical conclusion. Tn the p.?rson of

Louis Lamtert ,wWr«5q he handles with mere genîlne delicacy and cc»

-

pitehending tenderness than his other characters, we s-'êm to see an

effort to discover what would have heen his fote,if he had

-in

\^ufrf exorfw

.©noa 9ignxs yoaiitnQ -iz Ss

-cf

1B,S88-

continued in tne way of the stufiles that 1q(\ to the composing of

the youthîl essay on the will, and eventually to his sickness

and removal from the collew-e de Vendome. The story, 'bping "but

slightly dependant on external events, remains more personal with

Balzac than his other :3^)asl antolDlographles, where the character

develops in such a wsiy as to he ahsolntely distinct from the per-

sonality of the anther; I might also add that, "being largely con-

cîrned with p.aycholcgical phenomina.lt ahourds'ln flgiires of speecSi.

Thils ever active imagination, powerful to the extent of

approximating hallijclnation.verv naturally translates Itself into

fijires of speecli^ Balzac's says that "on exprlme 'rflen.x ce qu»on

conceit :îi.e ce :5uep. 'on n. eproîve, "(l ),hi]t there is a vagueness

( 1 ) Let t re s a 1 ; ttrni-igere , T, p . ^^

p

aboo^t the Ideoliz.ed •inlcno'vm that is only too evident in the j(azy

Impressionfi tha" v.-e receive from his figures dealing with the

more poetic characters. The slgnlficarice is ndBt ^êr-^ clear to us,

an'.5 we wonder -fcf- Balzac himself had any ;iefinlte conception of

v/hat he vranted to pay or \^ he justifies the criticism of Taine,

who says, a propos of "Raizac 's , criticism of Stendhal's style:*-

"gj.3and votre idee.tjdt encore Imparfalt^^.ne ponvant la inontrer

eliememe.voTis indlûes les ohjets auxquelles elle ressem.'ble.voiis

sortez de I'expreHslon courtiJ et dlrecte pour vous jeter a droite

et a g.-iuche d:-xns les comparal sons. Cest done par /mpiiO^âikte

q'ie vou.s accumulez les images; faute de rouvcir marquer, ies la/

prem.iere fuis votre pensee tôus la repetez vagnement rlusieurs

fols.et ie lectenr.qul veut vons ocmprendre.doit suppleer a votre

falhlesse ou. a votre pwwBBên - 'Ms train Isant vous-m-eme a vous-

m.eme.en vous expliquant ce que vous vonliez dire et ce que uons

Bh

'.(.ffii^noo

.3JBk .911'

^sniJdiT to fltaioi

,9Xd"!tl©SB9t •

.SS^JSRFSq WtslO"

69

n»avez pas dlt . "(1)

(1) Nonveanx easals ;1e crltlaue et. a*hlstoire,v.231f

Talne was atrongly under the influence of Stendhal

wher he wrote this, "but It is tnie that a figure of speech may

conceil'a thought or the a"bsence of thought; and If the reader

himself has no very definite conception of the suhject under dls-

cuaslon.he will" pass on content v'lth the rr.ere sound of the words.

On the other hmd.ras "'slzac in'lrr.atcs.you ca/mot- descrlhe a man's

soul in the same way that you do Vii3 -oody. ôrdu have some of

the qualities of a measuring rod xrnen dealing with concrete oh-

jects; when dealing •Itn abstracts they are elastic, indefinite,

p-^rsonal. A concrete corrcarison may "be BibM'd; if a woman sug-

gests a flower to the author, he may >op>? to r-:^pj-oiluce his impres-

sion of the woman in the mind of hio reader \')y corujiarlr.g her to a

flower. But it requires an unerring instinct and a poetic delica^

cy to choose always the proper cor.parlaon.and to suppress or hold

In the iDackground those qualltlea of the -nllyslcal object that do

nvt harmonize with the impress ior,. desl^'ed.

On the other hand a figure of speech is C'^rt-^. inly not

the only solution for the problcti.and the fact that ?tendhal,t?ho

is rriraarlly a rsychciogist, rarely departs from, literal expression,

would mcicate that it is not the m.cnt natural solution, that its

use is really a algn of v/eukneg;-: or uncel^tainty of analysis.

Stendhal is perfectly at case with abstract ideas; he analyses the

emotions ar-. thoughts of his characters in their origins, develop-

ment,and effects,until the scui sfêms to be laid bare "nv a scalpel.

An interesting ccm.par.i.Bon can te made between Flaubert and lâlzac,

both of When had a physical rather than an intellectual vision.

e-a

V.r:-.rr^:<9.t;

fcXc

r-rae^ ... Vi.

:r.tr, R

.*iT ;!'•. 5.^

,T.)v;r

70

It goes without saylîg thst neither a'bRtaln s entirely from alD-

stract analyeie; FlauTDert -êscrts occasionally also to concrete

compariaons.'brit hla izost tyxilcal irethod aeems to "e that noted, "by

Bourget : "Tl considera qn 'une tete hnmalne eot une cham'bre noire

on passent et repassent (3es images de tons ordres : ir.ages de mil-

ieux oadis travers(5s qui a-^ repreoentent avec nne portion de leur

forme et de leur coulonr; Images dee emotions Jadls rossenties

qui se representent avec une portion de leur dellce ou de leur

ane tuiT:e . . , Pou r i'lau'hert.. . .decompoaer sclent ifiquement le travail

d 'une tete hujpalne,c'eat analyser ces irragea qni affluent en elle,

derêler celles qvi reviennent haTDituellercent et le rhytnne d'apres

lequel elles revlc^nnent . "f 1) Inbther words FlauTD-^rt lavs "bare the

(1) Essais de psy^hologie conterrporalne, I,l6^ff

.

soul of the ch:>racter in a certain situation "by malclng hlir; thinl:

aloud, hy descriTDing the Images,usually physical , that present then-

selves to his nind. The thoughts and images, taKen in connection

with the situr,tion.£;lve a very definite lir.presslcn of the mental

attltride of the character.

As for our author, 'ffhen we find Felix de Vande^nesse try-

ing to explain ^vht he feels "by nuch a succession of flgu-'ês as' :

"Te ne 8;.urais expllquer dans quel etat he fus en m'en allant.

Won ame aâlt ahticrlse ipon corps,.le ne pesai^ pas.je ne marchaiai

point, yie volais. Je sentai5 en roi-Treire ce regard. 11 ir'a-"-alt in-

ondei^ de lujTlere.ccmrrie son Adj.eu,rronsleur! ci-"-ait fait r'=!tentlr en

mon ame les hariijonles que ccntlent I'Ojfilil , ) filli! fie la res-

urr'ictlon pascale. .Te naissals a nne nouvelle vie. .T'etais done

quelqu.e chose j'cur ellf • ,ip it. •endorrrlg ^n dsa lan^ges de pourpre.

Des fiamnjes passe-'-ent devant mes veux t^,rv?i?, en !?e poufsulvant

OT

9,1 B- :^nj& ioBtSa

rx^>L,i

jiBasTCfiTtjl:

-•T19 f)

;:fJ.B

:om stft

71

dana les tene"bres ccrcmes les jells veii/^lsseaux ae feu qui courent

les nns aires les antren sur les cendreg dn papier TDnile. Dano

rres reves.sa volx ilevlnt j.? ne sals inol de palpat^le.nne atmos-

phere qui m'enveloppa de lirlere €? de parfuma.une rceloflle qui 1715.

careasa I'esprit "(i.v.^pTtsL.), we r?^cognlze in It Balzac's fcvorite

method of depicting the etata d'ame of his characters, a rethod

that results from a certain inoapacity fo^- cT)stract psychological

analysis

TTI

Helation of figures to ar. attitude of 'Înd.

This concrete expreBsicr. of ahstracts ls,hGv/-ever,onl3''

a phase of thf^ general rateriallrlng tendency in the figijres. By

materialistic T mean. net reoessarily the oppcc-j.te of poetic, hnt the

opposite of idealistic, for as T havo stated hefcre.a fi^r-iire may he

mateT-ialistlc and poetic at the sr.me tir.e. we find in Balzac very

few perscnlflcatlons.ana these -few-tii«*' little originality; there

are comparatively few ctm-parlsons hetw?en things on the same plane ;

hut the figure of speech If persistently emplo.yed to express the

human attrihntee In terrs of the animal, plant , and material worlds.

In this great predominance of ref;l3stlc figures -re can see a re-

flexion of the realistic attitude of mind. The realist claims to

depict life as it is.ût In spite of all the theories to the contra-

ry, it is evident that really normal life is -an unsatisfactory auh-

j-ftct for literature : there rrust he a certain a:.'cunt. of exaggera-

tion,Which with the realist tnxes.the attitude of the irap:irtial, Ira-

personal otnerver, cutting nothing of hiirgelf In the picture that

he ---alnts, Hi.manity hecomss a êre co^tpiex org-inism.a set of cogs

whose operations and functions he Is to ohs':?rve and explain; the

;->?i-^rfr

a n f '^ S: r

'JR JP''''^ f'

sil^t aasT,, .:,;,.,..,... ,-..., , ... ..-

\

,S£': r-rriTrf'Tl-

72

attention 18 centrea on fnose pnaaas of human life that aro jr.oat

easily stên.inu'ierstootl and deftCT-iVjefl : the anlr.al and material

side of Kian'e existence. Tne more spiritual elements are sMl)or-

dinated to the external, in terms of which they find expreBsion.

Wl\en the realist vineH figures of r,peech to express him-

self /vê are justified in expecting Jiist snch figures as vê find

in BL'isac : tlê expreg;..lon of a'ostract qualities in tenra of what

can De s-ên anA felt,tVi« simplification of corplex hDiT'an nature tr\/

n.akirig it cunfwrre to veêtat)j.e e'/jstence or to the si/rple psychol-

Oh;y of the anjiiials. Kver. v-'' en i.he romantic side of Balzac's nal^.

tnre iy upperiLunt and he t}-ieB to ir>ealize his characters, there is

little ohan^ê in tais materialist ic tenaency.vvhich represents the

fimdamertal "oont of h,i>ii.î:;,iiid,.cind imagination : the poetry in the

Lra dans la va].l<?e is so covered v/ith the dnst of earth as to he

iiarl ly reaGjtyi izafele

.

Wnen an.Y mGutiun uf /"^gvirit Ive imagination is made, -.he

name of Victor TTugo naVirally suggests itsoj.f. Tne wur'K of .M^-.E.

Bigiiet -has? ;(i.;de a comparisoj*" of hia figures v;ii-,h those of Balzac

ooEparatlvely diiuple.and we cannot do hetter than to quote tns

author's o'Ji'n coiiCiuaions concirning the ge-êral teiidency of TlUgo's

Imagination: "D'autre -Mrt.noois avons vu coiurnent, il lonne a tout

la vie, el JTiejna la volonte,rec-.jn:iai3sant dan.- les aîtres d^^s houche s

qo.i orient ou .ûl 'baillent .dans las branches des hras teno.ua,'lan8

lofi ronces des gri ffes riêchantes. Oorarnent n'aurait-jl r-ar I'ideetx*.

donner a t.ouf^ las forces 1^ la nature, avfjc ia rolonte.l'lntelli-

g9rice?r He lc> atterrptiiig to explain t)\i fre.ûem: comparlfôn hy

Vi.?/cor rC.-.go- of crude natu.re to the products '.f human artj L' ocean,

la goutte Veau.ift ve'it.et ri-ejiie des ahstract.lons, 1''; t'^npB.le

~v

X noiJiic-jg'B

ei £':e <•:) I'lf \;.{ 9T>'G

^i i (j bx I rt;^

,nc©r;C'

, anc i on- -J J A-

a

73

y^.i.sard.no p<=»nvent-il8 fl'^venlr des 'irtlnt'^B f^cnt la colla"boration

tantot pat.-i (>nte,tr^ntot Trnitale.rraj.s toiTjcnf'S lnfatjga"blft,Trftt, -tea

rrllllerfl fl 'anriefta a prodi^lre (l«s prortlf.lenx ohefs-fl»qenvr«?

L'ocjenn n'est thp toiijonra la fniftMie qnl rêvore le navlre.ll eat.

(1)s.îRfl) la r.ain q" i sciilpte.clsele et pollt le rocher." "On salt

corruTient tori.t. s'anire rtana 1 'in arl nation (ô Victor TTi.igo -f la vagne,

la niêe.Te •r'cch'^r.l •• rlDre.ia fienr. On salt corjnent t.artcnt il

fllFtJngne lep formes et ler, mouvementa 'I*" I'ôinTneCfe de 1 "animal."

(1) Te sprs rte la forrr'e <5.?ns le? nietap^cres '"''=! Victor >!UgOtp. 299

(2) Le ecu leu r, la Inirlere et I'orrire clans les metapnorer,

(le^Vlctor Bigo,p.59

"Toujonr? o"bse(ie par I'idee du n,'yi?tere,'-'es li^ns invialt^lea entre

toDs le? etres.il cnercTie ieujoîr-a des s.vin"holes,ia manifestation

dejjf rapports q^.e l» intelligence nnmaine pent tout an pins aonp-

Conner. Ajontons a cela cette vie ccnRcJente q\i»il prete volon-

tiers a tout. ..son yinTDitude de compare-* I'aotlvite des forces de

la nature a I'actlvlte de I'honiree^d 'aLlp-irer la ricliease inepnls-

atiie de 1 niniverSjla prodigallte aî rempilt' do dlainants I'eapace

Infini aara o^.tîler d'en anapendre i.rn a I'extreiTilte dn "brin

d •her'be. "( ^) "^/laia snrtont.c" del est vlvajit. Les aatres n'e-

clalrent pag le vide, 1 • indifferent . Ce sont dea flarr"beanx qnl,

comme oenx de nos /alsons.eclalrent la vie et I'activite. Ce aolit

des ye\ix qni nous o"bservent ,=»tc. "( 4-)

(3) La coiUeiir.la inrîiere et iôv^r^ dans les rretaphores

de i^jctor HUgo,p.'i''^fi .

(U.) ITild.^p.lT?

i Ru; .Jiisva-iioo

I

)

yriABit'iif!

(-'1 1

'

7»^

Of ty^.e figures cited in tne tvc volnraen of H'.Tii^gnet,

practically all v.'lii fall into ore of the. followirig t^ree clafsses.

l.î^Cemparisons tetween p)iyslcal o"bjects p-»:gf,estPd "by ex-

ternal slirjllarltlea of form and color. Tn t'nese v^ note a yer-

sl stent tendency to compare tne c-n.x6e an^ natural to a product of

huiran art, - a tencêncy wmch we hove seer expressed in a few fig-

ures of the Lys dans la yallee .

2.f T>ê animations of nature.

3.-^ Corcparisons "oased on a symhclDC Interpretation of

the seconi term. Soffe of tnase correspond externally t.o the ma-

terialistic coniparisons of Balzac; oît "by the choice of t]ne rjom-

parison and tne manner of expression, the concrete concept* with

Wigo loses its material significance and heccrne'jja pure pymtjol of

an abstract idea, so that the actual concrete expressiof' tBf ar. aT>-

stract concept is largely neutralised. This group would include

a great many figures which are not included in the classification

of M.HHguet,such as the representation of conscience as "la hous-

sole de I'inconnu" or "la colonne vertelDrale de lâme."

Such a use of tne fl^ûre of speech corresponds to cer>-

t::in romantic ter dencies. Prepossessed with viis ego,t>ê rorranti-

cist infi^ses nis own nature, not only into his characters, hît into

inanimate ohjects.xvnich he tries to elevate, to iDrlr-g nearer to

himself. Artistic exaggeration with hire is idealistic ratlner than

material) Stic. He loves nature "hecause he has hreathed life into

her, and the sympathy that he receives from êr is' hut a return of

what he has iven, Ke sees tninga colored hy Ms own lersonallty

and they tend to TDecome alive, nore intimately associated with hu-

man activities, or symbolic of higher truths. He sees man and God

-xs

vj i. .' -;.1. .;, '.' i

xon.j-^

y^;/ij'T>[ fnf^ofr ^tfOf " ' ".

' j- !.:; .i. '-x .».;?./ i>^:., ,,7.:-.. ija

-Mil rf*JtW £)9;rBl0088£ Yl©.tBfl!i.tnl 9T0a»9ViXJB Si;'io;:& i uj .ari»^. Y^^J^n-B

75

In nature, whereas the realist nees ratîre 1.n wan.

The ooTnT<ari?on T Inavo tirswn h=tw.;en Balzac anfl victor

Fi.igo is dangerous If h'q atteinpt to draw from It definite and gen-

eralized conclusions, tut it, la at least BMggftstl^'e to anv one v/ho

is trying to formulate Balzac's relation to t?oe roniantlc school.

By the side of the idealistic fignrt^s yow v/iii find, in the worKs

of Victor B.igo as many i-f not more rnaterlalistic flgnros.from ^ /^^

which, helng a great pflrit^he c'btains pcetlc effects ;> the oontrast

t^-palzac 13 merely a matter cf p>*opcrtl 6R-. Bvit the fact thr^t

the idealistic flgi^.res are alrrcst regliglhle in Balzac, would in-

dicate that.lr spite cf his rrany rorrantlc traits, '-e lac/s a cer-

tain attitude towards nature j^vhlch Is ch.?racterlEtlc cf the romaft-

tlc authors from Rousseau en, and wMch finds such a strllflng m.ani-

festation in tê fl,t:ures cf Victor T-Digc. T'^^r<:i 3 s a corresponding

difference ivhen we consider the characters. Tê rorf:antlclst infused

his own nature into 'lia creations, and hT"-lng hut cne 3;ô,hiffl va-

rious characterB wer^^ ryaily one and th^ gnre. Only fne condi-

tions charged. Hence a sarneness with th.T lndl"-ldual authors, whicSi

extended to the mo^'êriient În as ."nuch a^ the x'arlous authors had tilm -

liar natures an*^ aF>Tlrr?.ti ons; tn-is we can sy'âK: nov/ of tt\& roman-

tic hero ag of a sin^'?;le t\rpe. rîr, r.rooesG 1? tht^ excsrtion v/ith

Balzac. His ego Is continually oht-mdipg itself jn }•!?> work, hut

it is either dlc?tinct from or cuhordinate to the characters. Tii-.ne

the roir-anti cists raised their clâroctprs up tc their Ideaiired

selves, Balz.ac attalred a Blrrllar refuJt.^'l thout impnij'lng ]"ls cre-

ative power, hy levering hirreelf rr it '."pre tc trê plane of those

wnom he descrllDed. He h^d the dramatic jo''"^!* o^ rutting himself

In their places, living their lives and thlnTcln^^ tî-'îr thoughts.

Balzac had a i^ susceptihle nature and heifig subjected to the some

• :' '^-- •"'; asftrail ©l^Bil^eM ©rw to sM« sxTJ YS

':! *'.> t..fi ;),"

75 a

g0n'?ral Irfln^iices s.f? the romantic antnors h*^ conld hnr-lly escipe

sharing noine of their tTaitn,hiit the fiinrtarental cant of his mind

is almost v;holly realistic, '''e is related to thfl •'oir.antlc school

rather "by erotlv^nal trnlts and superficial lltorary artifices.

Chapter -Jry 76

RELATION^ BET7/EEN BALZAC'S FlfJUHES AND NTS IDEAS/

In his article on rtendhal, Balzac cTlstlnKiJlshed three types

of contemporary literature : "la litterature des iifiages, "chiefly

lyric represented by Hi.igo, Chat eauhr land, Lamartine.Ohe rmann.Oau-

tier anci others; "la litterature des Idees, •''dealing largely with

facts and head-^d "oy ^tendhal,l^lsset and Iti'erlrr.ee; and "1 'electisme

litteraire, » ci eolith inat Ion of the< two — "le lyrlsite et I'actlon.,,

yfte vrie totale des choses,..les iirages et les idees.l'idee dans

1' image ou 1* image dans I'ldee." Tnis last school, In which he

places Scot ti- Cooper, Madame de Stael,and George Sand, is his own, for

"je ne crols pas la pelntare de la soclete moderne poasiole par

le precede severe de la litterature du XVlle et du XVIlle siecle .

L'lntroo.nc'tion de l»element dramatique de I'irpage.dn taiolean,de la

description, du dialogue me parait Indlspensahle dans la littera-

ture moderne"(l) This analysis, trie in its general outlines, is

(1) Vol.XxflI,pp.6f?7 ff.

especially apt in so far as it concerns Balzac himself, for in his

work we find a striking mingling of emotion and ideas, ofJLmaginat ion

and facts. We are Interested here In his powerfi.Jl imagination and

his ahunclance of ideas,^ for. as he intimates himself ,

"both Ifêas and

imagination find expression in the figures of speech.

If we examine the figîres of Victor Hugo .we find that '

they reduce themselves In large measure to w}iat wê m;ay call pure

imagery plus Imagination; in other words tine external appearance

of chjects plays a most inportant part in his figurative creation,

which consists frequently in the mere association of two concrete

images; and when imtaginatlcn enters to any considerable extent it

is as pure imagination, which seeks a more subtle, fanciful, or sym-

bolic criterion of ccmipariscn, P.uth processes may be illustrated

.T4.MT 3IK crÂ ajTifunii S'Ok^dXK TiaswTsa Iwioitajsjj

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bai^'tSauin 9cr yciji agaasootq ^^^^^ .noai'fBq.ôo lo :iolte.tno oiiou

77

"oy a beautiful figure in the Chants du Z'repusculeiCyo.xrv) a

drop oi" wrter glistening in the sunlight at the end of a "blade

of grass is a pearl, when it falls it Is CDud ; the striking con-

trast, the coi-itari-ination of perfect purity he relates tc woman,who

also is "perle avant de toniher et fange apreg la chute." Ideas,

to he sure, are not ahsent from such a coiriparison.hut the associ-

ation of ideas v.-hich produces the figure r^^suits entirely from

the operation of the imagination.

On the other hand^the figures of Balzac are usually the

result of the fusion at white heat of imagination and i^leas; his

CGitparisons often result from certain ideas, ard in turn they seemi

to confiriL and develop these same ideas, to iifpose them more power-

fully on the mind of Ealzac; in fact it soeras at tlrnes that the

idea really originates in a tanal figure. This fiision of imagery

and ideas is dangerous, for the one is likely to "be distorted to

maice it conform to the ether, and with Ealzac, as we shall see, it is

usually the figure of speech that suffers in its suhordi nation to

the idea. Moreox'-er.in order that a comparison should "be effective,

its meaning should readily "be grasped T-jy the reader, and, v*en it is

"based on a conception vvlth which he is unfamiliar, it is sure to

appear false and ridiculous.

We come now to a detailed study of the relation of ideas

to figures, using our tahle as a guic5e. Tt is well to note here

that the fact that such a classification as is there made should

"be so simple, and at the same time so nearlv comiplete,Js in Itself

an indication that there nust "be some clearly defined urderlying

principles which cause the figures tc fall into these distinct

groups. For our present purpose the Lys dans la vallee is

YT

£ ( VT K.o''i)

\

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7«

especially interesting, for, Toeing Intlriiately associated In the

rolnd of the author wUh the ^tudeg ph.llospphlqîes It offers a

nioSt striding exanjv le of the fusion of Ideas and Imagination.

Also in the Ti^nre.E of speech and In other rânlfestatlons of the

same Influences that produced then, we find an explanation for the

rrlscarrlage of thlc favorite child of Palzac's "brain, ""'e must g6

get "beneath the nere statement of materiallsir and natural indel-

icacy, for, from a certain point of view, he seems especially fitted

for v-ritlrg such a vvorK. There is much in his nature that strikes

us as poetic : he Ideaile^s purity; always prepossessed with the

feniinine,he places woman just "below the angels and v:orships her;

in his lettej'S, especially the earlier ones, he shows consldera"ble

delicacy of appreciation. Strange a? it may seen.jn a rom.anesque

novel of his youth such as Argow le PI rate, where neither ideas

nor flgu.res played any Important part,we find a young woman, who,

while reseml:ilirig in many ways "Fugenie Trrandet , through all her ad-

ventures retains m.ore real femlnlrie charm and -jelicacy,

Tnen we approach the question of Balzac's svstemi of

thought v;e note at once a doLinant principle expressed in liter-

ature, science and philosophy : the unity of creation — a princi-

ple vv>iich appears under various aspects in the romantic philoso-

phy, and one which, even considered a"bstractly, encourages figurative

creation; forîf things have so many points cr resem-'olance as to

"be conceived of as a slr^gle whole, a multitude of comparisons Imi-

mecUately present themselves to the mind. One of the happiest mo-

ments In Balzac's life was when he conceived the idea of Joinifig

all his works into a significant whole, and he always protested

against theri, "being judged on therl individual rrerits. Also he

would have humanity conform to the animal world, for, as he states

.nox.tcni.sBiJiI Mi3 sBsDt to nofaril"' srf.t to sI^Jiîxs ,>3iii)ii.t.}'^ Js^m

9ifd "to anoiJxj.tgslInBiiT tsri.to nl fine iiosftcrB lo aeifr'^n sjf.t r:i oe.[/l

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79

in the Avant froTjQ3_l "II n'y a qu'im aninal." This idea he .1e-

velops in theÊtiides^phllCispphlûes^ under the influence of ?we-

denuurg.to show that ruan is hnt an intermediate stage of devel-

oiir.eiit uetween the animal and the angel. Fe may live en earth

and partake largely of the nature of either; he nay like r:era-

phite^hecome so spiritualised tl-'at he loses practically all human

traits even hefore he Lreaks the honds of mortality and takes

his place among the angels. Similarly the Recherche de, l/P-P.^PJ-U

is hased on the principle of the unity of the material world. All

of these conceptions which floated vaguely in the minds of oth-

ers, seemed to assumê in tine nlnd of Ealzac a concrete or miathe-

matical forn.. They \xere not theories hut facts capable of scien-

tific and artistic application.

Tlie relation of this general tîeory to the figures In

group I, as analyzed in Chapter T,ls evident, T^^lrty odd of the

comparisons of man to man consist in the suhstitution of a divine

Conception for a terrestrial one. Ma5ame de Mortsauf is a sister

of charity, a martyr, a saint, or even the deity. Felix offers his

love as a priest at an altar; he drinks the tears of Henriette

as he v;ould drink the tlood of Christ at the holy communion, lât-

urr;lly I did not list the mere references to Kenriette as an angel,

for the idea is so hanal that it is almost impossihle to revive

the figure; in the Lys dans la vallee the word aiifê almost sup-

plants femme and is used as if it were entirely literal. Alto-

gether t>ere is a distastefiQly insistent confusion of the carnal

and spiritual emotions. On the other hand, the comparison to ani-

irals is equally Insistent, in accord with the theory of Palzac

that "I'homn.e est compose de mjatiere e'- d 'esprit : I'arlmalite

vient ahoutlr en lu.i et I'ange comjiience a luL^fl)

0?^

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"Ici-tfas.tont. est le prodiilt 4 'une SUBSTANCi: ETHSRE1!!,"ba8e

comimme de prisleurs pnenomenes ccnmis sens les norcs Impropres

d 'electric it e,chaleur,luirl ere, flMlde gslv-anlqne.rr.agnetlqne.etc.

I. 'nnlx'Grsrllte des transmntatlcns de cette sutstance constltne

ce qii'on ^ appelle V!nlgalreir;ent la matlare. . ,Le cer^eaii est le

matras on I'ANIllAL transports ce qne,siilvant la force de cet ap-

parel 1, enac\me de ses crganlsations peiat a'bscr'ber de cette Stjp-

STANCE, et d'ou elle sort transformee en volonte. La volonte est

un fluide (p.r5ip.)ty /chiir.istes de la vclGnte(p,^)j yyLa volonte

pouvait.par un iTiOnvenient tout contractile de l«etre Interieur,

s'amasser; puis par un autre mouveu'ent etre projetee au dehors...

reagir sur les autres...les penetrer d 'une assence etrangere a

la lenr ( p ."^ky^ l_a volonte s'exerce par les org^nes vuigalre-

Uieiit ncmres les cinq sens qui ne sont qu'un se^il.la faculte de

voirf p.T^)'^y/Le son, la couleur.le pcrfurc et 1? forrce cnt une ineirie

orlgine..,la pensee qui tient a la lun'lere <i''expriii'e par la pa-

role qui tlent au son.,, La colere.ccmr.e toutes ncs expressions pas -'' '

>\siunees,est un courant de la force humalne qui agit electriquement

. ^7(p.r3i?>>5^^1^'attente ...n'est si doulcureuse que par I'effet de la

loi fin vertu de^laquelie le polds d 'un corps est mjltlplie par sa

viteHse. "(p.'TS^

The idea.Toriefly stated, in that there Is "but one sub-

stance, that all forms of watter.all forces that act on matter, all

intellectual and spiritual attributes of man are really one and

tixe same, the only difference teing of quantity and condition of

stahiilty or movement. Hence wi li, thought , or passion is only an-

other foriT' of fluidity, light, or sound. The question arises as to

how much of this Ealzac really telleved. Hie sister tells us

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P>2

that he put in tne nicuth of Louis Lan-bert ir.any of his own opin-

ions that were too advanced for personal expression (1) The

(1) ôi.xxiv.p.-t^^^X^^

sarne ideas arise continually in his work "both "before and after ."t^S^

(-e-)

—

Cf. JS vairt7 rrpppp. Vol.1 .en{..euiaily p./ Vvhere rre-:r^^&têfi-

Lon JL Ji Lanhprt to e:p lRln hlg iaea#-r-

Ke speaks in lils own name in Ursula Mironet : "La science des

fluides.seul non qui convlenne au magnet isme, si etrcltement lie

I-ar la nature de. ses phenomenesya la luir-lere et a 1 'electrlclte

...La phrenologle et la physlognoir.onle.la science de call et celle

de Lavater,qul sont Jujnelles.aont I'une est a 1 'autre ce que la

caup.e ejit a I'effet .dement raient aux yeux de plus d 'nn physiolo-

giste les trapes au fluide insals issatle.tase des phenoirenes de

la volonte.et d'ou r^sultent les passions, les habitudes, les formes

du visage fit celle du crane, ''(p„^67) A priest seeking tc explain

a drean. of Ursule says : "Si les idees sont une creation propre a'

l'horrirue,sl elles sutslstent en vivant d'une vie qui leur solt pro-

pre, elles dolt avoir des fonces In8al8ls8al:)les a nos sens exte-

rieur6.,ii,ais percept Itles a nos sens Interlenrs quanfl lis sont dans

certalnes conditions, Ainsi les idees vie votire parraln tôus en-

velupper,(p.-?iL4

We are forced to the conclusion that if Palsac did not

helieve in his theories he at least thought he did, for he express-

es the/ii here as a^clence that will complete if not replace the

existing sciences, and is very positive with his affirmations In

a letter to 4^ctX4i Moreau on the receipt of the letter's "book

on Le genie et la jfplle . ( l ^ The extreme form of his ideas results

(1) Cited ty cabanes : galzac ;Fgnoj::e.p.2l6

5?^

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V

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^5

partly from Ms rtania for logical explanation,which appears so

freqv.ently in his work ancl which is the fnndanental principle of

his psychological studies. Fis irlrd Intuitively sought a plaus-

ible solution for the mysterious worlcir.gs of thought and passion,

and, when it fails hlrr,,hia liragination "begins to worK.or.to he

iT.ore exact ,iniaglnat ion and intellect work side "by side, Tt seems

jiiore than pro"bahle that the former seized upon such expressions

as 18 feu de l.'aitiour.le feu d.'un regard. and epancher,sa tendre.sgfi

which In the form of the concrete image evoked hy the "banal fig-

ure, reacted on the mind of saizao and 'gate form to his vague con-

ceptions; for Balzac really invents very few comparisons, and his

"boldest figures are m.erely detailed developments of the idea ex-

pressed in the most hanal figures of every day speech. Fe have

already seen his views on the evoking power of words; we know alao

thd. 'in real life he had only to let his mind dwell upon an idea

in order to "be convinced of its truth. Gautier says of him. :

"L'idee etait si vive qu'elle devenait reelle en quelque sort; p^

parlait-11 d'^in diner, 11 le mang,ealt en le racontant; d»une vol-

t').re,il en sentalt sous lul les moelleux cousslns sans secousse.L^J

(2) Portraits contem.porains,p.90

?ft^ figures tb^fi-are not mere suggestions of s^m:"bolic significance,

"biit they have a logical basis of similarity; for even if Palzac In

his saner moments would laugh at his theories he had at least con-

cieved of them as realities, and the figures must represent the ex-

istence or the reminiscence of a concrete image. The reaction of

theory on figure and of figure on theory had continued until his

treatment of humanity is a kind of composite treatise on "botany,

zoology, physiology, hydraulics, optics, mechanics, etc . TXotice in

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j^i;

the following passage from LodIs Lair."be]-t the ir.nltltude cf fcrms

1a which sk thought presents Itself tc his rr.lnd :

"Tout a ccnp ^ne idee s 'elance,passe avec la rapi^nt-e

de 1 'eclair a travers les espaces infinls dont la perception nous

est donnee par notre vue interlenre. Gette idee hrillantejSnrgie

CGiLii.e iin fen follet ,s 'eteint sans retcur; existence ephen:ere,pa-

rellle a celle de ces enfants jjui font connaltre aux parents une

Joie et dn cha^grin sans homes; espece de fleur irort-nee dans les

chan:ps de la pensee, Parfols I'idee.au lieu de jalllir avec force

et de nour/ir sans consistance.corrxence a poindre dans les llffhes

Inconr.nB des orgenes on elle prend nalssance; elle nous nse par rin

long enfanteiTient ,se developpe.devient feconde,grand it an dehors

dans la grace de la .lennesse et paree de tcus leg attrihnto d'nne

longne vie; elle sontient les plus cnrienx v2g::rds,elle les at-

tire, et ne les lasse jamais; I'exareen qn'elle provoqne coinmande

l»adiEirntion que snxcitent les oenvres longtemps elahoree. "an-A '

tot les idees naiscent par essairn.l 'nne entraine 1 'autre, elles

s 'enchainent.toutes sont agacantes.elles ahcndent .Giles Sent follesr.

Tantot elles le levent pales, confi.ises.depelrlssent faute de force/

on d'aliments; la suhstance generatrlce rranqne. Enfln a certains

jours, elles se preclpitent dans les ahiir.es pour en eclairer les

inirrienses profondeur; elles nous epouvantent et laissent notre ame

ahhatne. Les idees sont en nous an systeine complet ,seinhla'ble a

1 'un >les regnes de la nature,nne sorte de floraiscn dent I'lccn-

ographie sera retracee par un hoirj.e de genie qui passera jonr un

fou pent-etre, Oul,tout,en nous et an dehors .atteste la vie de

ces creations ravissantes que je compare a des flenrs.en ohelssant

a je ne sals quelle revelation de leur nature: Lenr production

;tH

a.-ti&i-qsi Bl osvs saajsq, sonsis' 2 ^p>t)l ^-" ^^ôo r .t.-jr"

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^5 •

conurie fin de honjre n'est d'allleurs fa-s pluss et?(onante que celle

des parfun-js et des couleurs dans la tlante. Les parfums sent des

idees peiJit-etre/(p.""''^-?-i4^)

The central thought Is that ideas have a distinct though

dependent existence, and the coF.parison that doirilnates throughout

the x^sssage is that of a child in Its "birth and levelopitent . Put

inteT-w'oven in this minutely developed iretaphor,ve have other terms-

apflled to ideas snch as feu follet ,fleur, jallllr,polndre,oeuvres,

essalm.eclairer.systeme ,floralson,and parfurris. Th.e passage offers

a rr.ost Irteresting exariple of the fîsion of science and iinagiratlon

and of the class of figîre that is lilcely to rasiiit from such a

fijsion.

In the Lys dans la vallee we find "âlzac still ohsessed

"by the ideas upheld so stoutly in Lo^jis Lair;"bert ; "but in the Lys /

dans la valle'-w-e h5ve not the scientific expression of theories, hut

figures of speech vhich reflect those theories in the choice of the

cottparisons, An examination of the ta"ble will show to what extent

the Irriaginaticn of Ealzac was influenced "by his seni-sclentifiG

conceptions. It is not necessary to dvv-ell on the figures drawn

frorr. fluids and flarres. They have already been analysed ^(1) and

( 1 ) Bee a."bove, pp . ^ ' - "S

their relation to what has "been said is sufficiently evident. It

won.ld naturally he inposslhle to deduce froir, each figure a definite

&cientific conception, "bnt on the other hand Ealzac's scientific

theories are themselves more than hazy. In theory and figure we

find the same attitude of mind and the same channels of thought.

In t'Oth ve find the ela"boraticn of the idea expressed frequently

ir "banal metaphors; this is esvecially true as regards flame, or

rfat.ru:..: .:....,;;.;: ... ...'..: ,,zsbl izA.: ..L J,:i^;iww.; IstJnso 9/iT

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..i.u9vooc "^^ :; (1

)

ollLtneloa e'OBSlBff £>«Brf T9r[ô 9fi.t no' jTro',noi.tg[90fioo oiiXJueioa

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TO STiBlt a.ijTB-'^ftf RS 9tn:.t v IX.:;.fo?- 't?: ':?.i oXrf.+ ; aôriq'e.JgTi Isnscf -lil

or fire, which appears in various evt-^ry-ilay expressions .lonct.lnî

«:ij-(t,i.t. .troth, joy, ICAf-e.aiiger.dispalr, or pain. Balzac as a niie

cerely elalDCrates and Intensifies. The assimilation of the spir-

itual to the phyciological sile of man shown in eithty-three fig-

ures is one of the most fundaiTiental ideas of Ealzac and one of

his most coiwiori literary devices. It is tr.e underlying principle

of t.lje citations I have given froru Louis LamlDert and Ursule Mlrcuct

oThe 'êry numerous comparisons to flowers daf not seem to depend on

any definitely formulated theory; they seem rather to tie used "be-

cause the idea is essentially a poetic one, which Ealzac thought he

could maKe still more poetic 'oy elalDoratln® it and carrying it out

Inlddtalli Throughout the whole "ooolc he is o'osessed "by this flov;er

motif,which in the other novels is relatively Infrequent. Tt is

evidently a case of auto-intoxication, produced prohahly "by the very

title of the hoolc. Tt is interestitig in this connection to compare

some of the expressions vrt-dch Ealzac uses in his letters Iw speaic-

ing of iJadame de EernyjOn whom he modeled the character of I.:adr

ame de Mortsauf, There are two that are especiallj'- striking hy

their »iji;ilarity vvlth figures already quoted fruui the Lys dans la

vallee : "A tout momient la niort peut m'enlever ^m ange. qui a vellle

9ur moi pendant quatorze ans.une fleur de dlditude,que Jamais leA

monde n'a tuuchee et qui etait mon etoile (l) (cf. the mixed figure

(1) Lett res a 1 'Etrangere, Vol ,I,p .220

nil fleur siderale yi-V.pJg^J^ and others); "Madame de B...,qui de

son cbte,cenche la tete Comjae une fleîr dont le callce est charge,

I,

d'eau (2) (cf: "Penchant la tete comrae in lys trop charge de pl-ile,-7'(tv.p.?.^^^

(2) rbi(l,p.l''51^"^

Let us study a little more closely the artl&txu re.ûlt of this f>i-

sion of i.ieas and im.aglnatlon in the Lys dans la vaiiee. The novel

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h

-f-l Biiii iO :IXttf>.'ii ^jij-altf J5 9ri.:r YXeaoXo 9'to.n 9Xj.tiX <? \hi.i:ih j-v jeJ

C9V01V erfr ,9pXXf.'' f.X •^.n&t' a"":J erf:f rti nol.tBnlsBml fne efiefcl to nols

nIs r-îated ln the nlml of Rilzac to the nM^s_j:]illiiSi;a2lla.^^

an'i reserohles Perajîta eRp=;clally,Maiiairie <\9, I-'ortsan.f "being a

wGiran only a little less Meallzefl anc! srlrltîaliz'^d than ^--^ra-

phita. The purpose of the majority of the figures of the Lvs

dan? la vallee.then, Is to Idealize, to produce a poetical iir-

pres sion,hut his scientific theories dominate,glide in and spoil

the effect. It is not only that the figures conform to the real-

istic tendency towards the concrete expression of the abstract

and the comparison of higher to lower life. Thcugh this is op-

posed tw the elevating tendency of the figurative cr'âtlons of

romantic idealism, such conipariscns as a woman to a flower or pas-

sion to a rishing wave are fre^ûently used with poetic effect.

Biit they must he used with discretlcn as regards numher and form;

one must "be content to dwell lightly on actual sirrilaritl<=>s,to

confine one's self to a com.parison of the ahstract qualities pres-

ent in "both terms, to iirhue the m:aterial o"bject vrith syit"!"'0lic sig-

nificance. "Palzac hy introducing too m.any phvslcal details into

his figures destroys the poetic as weii as t"-e idealistic impres-

sion which he intended to produce. Tave.for instance, the v?ry

pretentious comparison of the soul to a flower, "b.^ which Felix he-

gins the story of his life. It represents the roots as reaching

down into the dom.estic soil and finding only hard stones, t>ê first

leafage as stripped off "by des mains haineîses ,and the flowers as5f^

killed by the frost ijnst as they are beginning to open. (LV.p .^)

all this is very logical and exhaustively anal.'^^. ic hut it is not

poetical,.

Such expressions result from the clearness with which

Palzac visualized bis comparisons. "Pven when we meet. In the ridst

uf real fign res, such a hanal expression as : "^^pres le so^pir

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TXa-fôB 91 eetq<\M ; ^b noi3 8^<T:.TX9 XBnBcf b rforra . H9-t.t.r;%n XB9-r "i...

natnrel anx coe-irs TMrs an n'crr.ent. on s'ils s 'OMvrent "f LV.p.-fcÔj,

v;e cannot "but. t.Mnk that t>^.ls "hit of dnblons psychology ray O'-e

it.e: origin to tine association of a rronrnf'Tl sound with soirethlng

that opens — a door or an oyster; an^l certainly when Felix says

that seated "beside Madarre de Liortsanf seeking a "moment on .1e ire

glissera dans son coenr^. , ."^ 'avals flnl pa-^ entendre en elle

des ren-neir.ents c1 'ent-rallles canses tar nne affection qnl ^--onlalt

sa place"(LV,7. 74-Jf5),h9,that Is Balzac, conceives of lo^-'e as some-

thing which .exolnded frLin Its rlghtfnl place In the heart of Fad-

aire de luortsanf .dlstnrlDS the other organs In Its frantic efforts

to enter the-ê. We have already rera-^ked that figures has^d on

•mfairiljar scientific conceptions are likelv to "becoire ohscn.i-e

and >'ldlcnicus. Th'i? the hasal conception of a flgnre rray he so

evident to the irlnd of Balzac that he does not realize the neces-

sity of Indicating It for the heneflt of his readers. Tn descrl'e- -

Ing Lady Ridley he says : ?on corps l:^ncre la sneîr.ll aspire le

feu dans 1 'atmosphere et vit dans I'eau sons peine de re pas vivre

(LV.p.l>^0-) . A veritahle Chinese rnzzle.the solution of which, how-

ever, seeirs to he suggested^cn the rrestj. page, where Lady Dudley is

compared to an African desert, and then contrasted to Madarre de

Mortsauf : "L'orient et 1 'Occident : l»une attlrant a eiie les

ifiolndres parcelles huirldes pour s'en nourrlr; 1 'autre eyud'mt son

arje.en'êloppant ser ficieles d 'une luir.lneuse atnosphere. " The "baste

of hoth is evidently the conception of the eiriOtions and passions

as fluids and flarres. I.:adarre de Morts uf exudes êr soul In a sort

of liquid flaire for the use of others; w^-lie Ladv Dndlev takes and

gives nothing in return, she replenishes her flarrjng passion froiD

wlf-'put and irust ll^-ê in an ctrosp'êre hnirld wth the erot lens of

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J?9

others In order to satisfy that jasslon. To "be corplete ."âlzac

aa^s thot her -^êry tcrty flees not persrl re.'hMs afflrrlng tê In-

t-^r^^refcatlon of tne physiological nnr! srirltnal natM>-es.

PMCh f'xpresslcns srr.aclc too stroiv;ly of th'i^ earth-"- to pô -

drice the poetic lir.presslon that -Ralzac rl^'slred; he is not satls-

fleri v/itn .-^.escrlhlng a S'^'ntlrrental reaction "bv corr.parlng It with

the sentirrent aroused In the rclnfl hy the consl'leratlcn of a phys-

ical ohject or reaction. V.Tien he draws a corr.parlson froir a flower,

the Irr.age taXes sn"bstance; he sees the roots anfl the soil around

thein.the green of the leaves; he srrells the perfîre of the hiossora s

and sees theic gllstenirt- v^lthdevr.-beaten hy the raln,heiraggled '"Ith

iT'd, dried hy the s'-im and hy the lacV of sap, or picKed to pieces "by

the tjirds, Pîcv^ a -îsicn Is a gift, it is in this po'-e-r cf g-"-oca-

tlon that consists the genl'is of palzac, Fit this evocation of Fa-

terall letails is snltahle only fo-t- those iôrXs which we call -real-

istic, and -vhen Palzac corres ont of îs natural dorain and deals

with more spirltnallzad suTn.iects .this evocation necessarily talces

on a ir.ore figurative aspect. Hence thei-e are iro-ê flgr-ires ,ard they

are out of harmony with the s^-bject, Palzac s=>errs to he dimly

conscione of the contradiction existing hetw,ên th-^ t-'-o phases' of

his worl: vAie.n he says In Louis Lambert r'^Peut-^^tre les mots rrate-

rlallsme et splrlt-ialisre exprlment-lls les deux cotes d 'iin seul

et ir.em.e fait , "(p.^^^) A Justifiable supposition as far as he was

concerned: fo-r when you afflnr the sMprerracy of the spiritual side

of man, you have to "bring it down to the level of matter "before yon

can explain how it can act on matter, unless von aê content to

l'='ave the connection s^^ronded in mist and calmlv sav :"t do not%^

Know, •which Palzac was not content to do. Tn his '"o^-ld , then, the

spiritual iriy rule, but "l-s Is Itfeelf so a'^solutelv the result of

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00

pvivt;lolOj-;lcal •"in>-i iraterial infl'ierces t.>int, one s>(?irs to sf?o a

negation of spirituallsii.of FOMl.and of rroral resfonslMllty.

The Lys dans la vallee.lri "Ralzac's ilny.TH'a? ^rp'-ry -pop-

Mlar in certain circles, anfi "'e at 111 flncl, critics wi?o spealc of

It as a rraster^lece . pit the flgijres.wMch represent the general

tone '. f the hooXs.are llsconcertlng to onr F:oral and aesthetic

s^nsihllltleSjlDelng unsnlted to the suhject. The reason Is evi-

dently that Palzac, while constantly urging ns to Tncrxnt the heights

with hlrn.ls at the saire tlir.e steeping ms in iraterlallsm : a mix-

ture cf the purest water and the hest earth resîlts none the less

in ir;id. Pirtherirore we are often confused "by a rr.lngllng cf in-

conipatiole eleirents, fused into a single figure. One roirentia pas-

sion is a flower and the next it is a star, now a liquid and then

a fla.rre. The explanation of tbese dp^êcts Is to y)'^ found In the

coiriplete fu,slon which taês place in the mind of Palzac het'-een

his l>ieas or theories and his irraglnation, resulting in fic'-ures,

which, for Palzac are not rere s^rrhols, hut/express ions of real slm-

llfirity or e-'-en l''entit^'. He f lis apparently to distinguish he-

t-^'-ean the literal and the figurative. Such a process of creation

was not conducive to the artistry and restraint that the Ideali-

zed sî-oject iemanded.

0"^

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91)

Cnapter_jv:i,.

TKF STYLE OF PALZAC .tuD^^TTD ACCORDTFO TO ITS TrFFFCTIV?:rrESS/

The pnrpose of this last chapter is not prlir.arlly to

Justify the stylistic faults that we ha^'-e noted and others that

have "been sc often pointed out; it is an atteirpt to explain cer-

tain sensations experienced in reading ?alzac, which linger with

MS and yet v^'hich stride us as surprising when, in on^ irore criti-

cal moments, we judge hlrr' hy the ordinary literary standarls. Can

we say that it is only the content of Balzac's newels that pleases

and that the favora'biLe Irrp-ression is lessened hy the style ? Is

the stvle a liability and not an asset ? Being convinced that the

impr-^'ssicn produced "by the works of Balzac would he irrposslhle If

t>'ere wsrs not consl'lerahle conforrrity "between the style an'i the

subject, If the form and the content were not wo^-lclng to the sam.e

end, I have sought to Isolate certain element? that offer a psy-

chological explanation of the effect on the reader. (1)

(1) Cf. I'. .Paul Flat, I' Seconds essals s^^r Balzac for the same-a

--

suhject treated "by him from..^slightly different angle.

In estimating the merits of the various imaginative

processes of Balzac, we have already had occasion to "broach the siifc-

ject of this chapter hy noting and explaining the impression that

is m.ade hy the figures; and, as has "been seen.s^'sch a discission

naturally extends itself at times to a more general consideration

cf style, in as much as the figures are frequently the most stri-

ding and the most concrete manifestations of general stviistlc

tendencies. The impression m.ade on the reader is a still rcre

complex T ro"blem than that cf t^e origin of the style, for another

psychological elerrent is introduced. Yet this elem.ent must he

taken into c nsideration.for the very term style p^-esupposes

TV TOtjB.r^r/

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92

an audience : Just as tliers Is no sound wlt^ôut a bearer, t^êre

is no Btyle unless t.îere is sorre'one t.o r?t'ister the Ir'tellectnal

vibrations conveyed tty the "ôrds. ^"^T'.en a style Is felt as good,

it ireans that the author, his ape,' (usually ), his suiîect ,and the

reader are in unison. An ppic froir. the -pen of Ronsard an-^^ a play

of Mollere as read hy Renan ir.ay "be said to lack a necessary ele-

ment of style v-hich is present In a ^"'orlc of Chapelain 1n the hands

of his conterrporaries „ As a ccnsf^quence of these facts, any estl-

rrate of the style of an author imst he largely personal, in so far

as hu/iian nature varies. For t^ls reason I cite frequently passa-

ges froic critics .which though jrere expressions of opinion, are of

value ^r'r\ar\ analysed and justified, in that thev give ns a ha?ls for

"broader generalizations,

Fe-'-hert Ppencer (1) holds that the "b^'st style is the

(1) The Philosophy of Style*

clearest ,thr> one that reqîires the least effort on the part of the

reacêr in order to grasp the ireaning, Ahout the sair.e idea we -înd

In the coir.TT.ents on style hy Buffon(2)^c^ Renan(^),. Lea-"-lrg aside

(2) Disccurs sur le style-

(3) Fssals de critique et de morale, p .^'^l

t^-ie question of literary trad it ion, such inould naturally he the at-

titude of the philosopher or ir.an of science, '.^hose interest is cen-

tered in the transitission of ideas, t^q prirrary function of lan-

guage is this transirission of ahstract conceptions , and the simpler

the style the more adequate an^ unencumhered is its operation on

the m.ind. But the man who 'vould use words to create life and matter

has to rival 'vith nature and "'1th the nrts t)?at appeal more il-

r'^ctly "-0 the senses: he must nse language in snch a way tha* Its

f'lnctions are enlarger? . The prime requisite In literary creation

59

I.Btr,t09lI©.tni srCJ' *c5.tei: -,' ..- Bi.^h ..^r, ,.[ ^ :S i,+ 88slnr.r sIy;Js on ai

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93

trât alms at the represertatlcn of life Is that it snail reprodnce

as vividly as posslTDle In the irlnd of the reader the eirotlons ,the

cor'ceptt^.and even the phj'slcal percepts of the a^Tthor. Tf lucid-

ity and heanty can he oTrtalned at the same tlire,so mch the "better,

But; they rîr.aln secondary. The pnrpcse Is net that the reader

Should stop and adrrlre the style, hMt that he should react accord-

ing to the content.

The train difficulty is a tendency, especially fo-^ the

hurrle.i modern, tu snhstltute words for Ideas. This occurs In his

speech as well as In his reading; It 1? "'1th phras'='S tliat he talks

poj^ltlcs, discusses literature r^nd art. An expression which Is

frequently heard hecoines fairlllar a^-d produ.ces a certain reaction,

a vague association of lir.presslons received on fo-îr.er occasions.

He does not stop to consider whether he knows the real meaning of

the words. In ir.ost cases, If pressed for a definition, he would

succeed in gl^'lng one app^roxirtately correct^ hut the wo-^d Is a

pro;py,and the l''ea. never fo'^'irilated /remains in a more or less cha-

otic stage.

Let us take the case of a man reading a piece of smooth

correct prose, where every '.vord stands in Its proper anl loglca,l

relation with every other word. The grarratlcal relations of the

woT-ds coincide so perfectly "'1th the psycholotîcal relations of

the Ideas that there 1? little incentive for him to go hack of

the individual ^vords; without translating them into definite con-

ej)ts,lt is posslhle for him: to grasp the trend of the liea of the

whole. Put often this ahstract conception that he recei"es is not

real hut only a reflection of the words, wnich disappears soon after

the words themselves. Pope solved the difficulty hy expressing his

59

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,

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9^

Ideas In a form tnat clings to ty\(^ rrerrory; a political pîrty or a

system of philosophy may nave Its existence proiongec! "by t^r. coin-

age of a nappy phrase; hnt withoît tn^ wording the I'lea FPrges

Into triat mass of what may he called potential concepts, fir exag-

gerated form cf the tendency mentioned a^ô^'-e is fo^md in the case

of a -reader whose concentration is Toor. ê may read a paragraph

aloud e^'en.and at the end have no Idea of wât he has read. Tt

would sêr that the pron^'mclation was pîrely m'^chanical an-^ the

words ahfôlntely void of meaning, hut for fê nega^lê reaction of

the mind "'hen the attention is arrested "by an unfamiliar vor(\

,

Moreover as he goes hack' to reread the paragraph, the ^'ords them-

selves have a familiar loolc anri sound, showing that the Îmal and

auditory memory was fimctioning. The same phenomenon is involved

when you suddenly realize that you have heen hearing a hit of song

or v-.rse for- vears ^'ithout having any real comprehension of Its

meaning, "^h-n a verse of the Plhle is flooded with significance hy

personal experience or hy merely reading it In a foreign language.

Thus it is posslhle for the clearest stvie to he the

least effective : it rms so smoothly through th^ lahor-sa^lng ma-

chine of our hraln,thr;t we do rot feel the necessity of t^nnslajfe

ying It into definite concepts capahle of lea-'ing an*^ impression.

Various Incenti^'-es to this translation ar'^ used : the orator has

his tone and r:estures,the author th<=> mecha-lcal de-^'lces of capi-

tals, italics .and paragraphing; hoth can ^se rhetorical ^levices to

focus the attention of the reader or hearer : lnte-r>-rogat Ion, repe-

tition, cllm.ax, etc, .which are mere external elements of composltl05;

or antlthesls.ironv .an^^ h.vper>ole,wnich pro.^'ice a mental reaction

In the mind of the reader hy making him ad.ludt th<> author 13 state-

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+10

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^55

Flrtlla-^ In their effect to th<=8'= last ar^ tvie ?1ir1le and

the itietaphor.wnich are .hcvre^'-er.Trich s'iperlor.in that ^hey are ca-

pa"ble of infinite raT^lety and ro.vivenatlon. Avr" ore of ^lê other

fi^^Mres ,V'i=!ltTg the aarre ii'tiere"er yen fln;^ it, loses qnlc>:ly Its spl&e

of ^ novelty, and hv frequent îse hecomes as ine'f'f ^ctl'ê as the rr.ath-

8râtlcla^ statement . The simile and rretaphor.^'rhose stviistlc ralne

we ('•Iscussed fron; a slightly different point of view in Chapter TIT.

have the advantage of Keeping the rr.ind alert; thev present a diffi-

cÛty hy tho Dolntlfln of which the reader Tsecorces active, irather

than passive^'and participates in the ir.ental processes of the au-

thor. Talce.for- instance, the expression of social ser ice as hnman

irrigation. Irrif-atlon does not fit in ^"'ith our line of thought,

OMr attention is arrested, this ^crd ir.ist he translated and assim-

ilated hefore we can pass on. An lirage arises; \"e think of the

vast enterprise that is tniîng the western deserts Into flowering

gardens; in orler to relate this to social service, the irlnd mst also

produce a definite and detailed image of what the latter reans.

Then we see that the sluir-s with their infinite possi-'-ilitle? of

manhood, undeveloped on account of conditions , are ll!-:e the deserts,

and that the waters which win hring these hidden qualities to the

proper flower and frîitage are sanitation, e'''icatlon,econorric .îstlce

A figure, then, unless entirely hanal, requires not only

that the* reader should formulate a rrental l'rage,hut that he should

analyze it S'lf ficlently to find the toints of siirllarlty with the

chject of the comrarlson. Mot only does '-e use his own facilities

to interpret the author's expression, thns irrpr?sslng tê ifleas Ttiore

TurcVoly on his consciousness, hut , if the figure Is "ell c>"Osen,he

should he a^^le to grasp the unexpressed iieas of the author or

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96

even to go beyond into ori^lnaipreatlon. Not all the effect Is iofe

lost .Inov'e^'er, If t^.e coirparlson Is onlj'- partially apt; trie pirpose

of the figure Is usually clear, v^^lle on the other hand the reader

ipist call Into play his mental faculties and analyze the jirpês-

sion t?iat the author wished to ^'^'ê, he fore he can pronounce ,1udg-

rent on thp propriety of the e-prer>slon; thus the idea iray he con-

veyed almost as forclhly as hy a irore exact expression.

Balzac's figures of speech are rterely one manifestation

of his .lesire fc-^ a more adequate representation of life. Fe feels

the necessity of something that shall keep th^ minds of his read-

e-^s alert; he '-^-rltes In a kind of feverish excitement , and he does

not want a purely passi^'e reader. A propos of the Physlologle du

marlage,he says : «ti me fallalt done en"êiopper mes idees et les

rouler.pou.r ainsi dire, dans une forme no^'-"-ell9,acerTDe ^t piquant,

qui revelllat les esprits en leur lalssant -les reflexions a redl-

ter;''(l) similarly he speaks a^^riringly of an article of I.uclen

(1) Correspondance p. 9

7

de Rîhempre "ecrlte dans cette maniere noîveiie et orlglnale ou la

pensee j-esuitait du choc des m:cts,ou le cllquetls des ad-i-erhes et

des adjectifs revelllat 1 'attention. "(2 ) In this connection a

(2) Ilus ions perdu es^ jT. p. IPfr-yb'^ ^ 3.

fac-^tious description which Balzac gives of his manner of compo-

sition is iôrthy of helng citeti : "Le cafe torfhe dans votre esto-

macL.^jdes lors tout s'aglte; les idees s'ehranlent comre les ha-

taillons de la ^ronde /riree sur le terrain d 'une lDataille,et le

hatallle a lieu, Les souvenirs arrlvent aî pas de charge, en selgnes

deplojêes; le cavalerie l'='gere des cafrnparalsons se ciefêloppe par

un m.agnif jq-iie galop; I'nrtille-ie de la loglque accourt avec son

train r't ses gorgousses; les traits d'epprit arrlvent en

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"^7

tirallleMrs ; les figures se dressent.le papier s^ ccîvre '^•encre,

car la 1^-t.te ccir^rrence ot. fjrit par des torrents '^ 'eaî noire, ocmr.e

la Tiatallle par sa porvire noire, "(l) Têse citations Irfllcate a

(1) Tralte cles ejccltarts no'lernes.Vol .yy ,p ,623

rat^-.er pnysical conception of tê elements of Ftyle.a "belief tvat

the ;^tteIltion irav iDe aroîsed t'V the n.ere form and Juxtaposition of

tiie v'orcls ; and he is ready to nse every weapon at his disposal to

stonxi the citadel of hi? reader's intelligence,

te'^ny of Falzac's predecessors ard contemporaries had

felt the need of lea^'lng the traditional paths of ccrposltion In

the pf^rach for a rrore acleq'iate expression, hnt "âlzaCjhy vis exam-

ple if not hy theory, rerains a pioneer arrong tê gr'=>ater writers

of the nineteenth centur^^; ard.thcîgh there is no Palzaclan sChod^l

of style, his influence If evident to one "•"o coirparea the style of

the novel hefore and after him,, In the novel Itself he "brought

about a great revolr^tion; he attenpted a corresponding re-'^clutlon

in the language, (2) h^.t language, "being the coTtm-.on property of the

(2) ?mrot ir Petit de Jutier^llle ,o^. ett-.Vol .VTTT

nation and in daily use hy every one, is necessarily rrore hound hy

tradition than a literary genre. To allow an author all the li"b-

erties that Ealzac wished to take^would rrean anarchy and chaos, and

v/c-'ild defeat the very purpose of language as a mediuir. of intellect

"al excharge . Put when Palzac protected against the irflexihllity

of language he was voicing an idea that meant a progression and re-

juvenation, ar idea which was In the air, hut wMch the other great

writers v;ere tlirid ahout putting in rractlce; Palzac was Irpelled

to do so hy the very natîi-e of his genius, in the rore a>-tistlc

styles of Flau"bert, Zola, and the Ooncourts we find jrany of Ms

n DwteoifiTi aaoI.rijJto sae-f"^ (I)".0'Tion siBroq; Be tsq eiliB.t.crf r.l

.tBilJ' lSJtI??Cf B.SlY'tS lO Stff9^T9l9 grfJ" to noi.tiX90rt00 IS'JiSV'rfq 't9lTJ'fe-C

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9?5

Drccedes . wMle en trie other hand tl-i^y have prcflted "i-y ^'Is er-

rors, which showed t>ieir; c^-rtaln things to iDe avoided, 'ît It was

Paizac who f.roved t>at one nay ignore npon occasion the conven-

tionalities of art .aesthetics and language, and at the sarrie time

write powerfnlly and effectively; and when ê see t^^Pt so many of

his imitators, In smoothing off his rough edges ,]Ji^,K# lost seme of

the hest traits of ^'is creation, we are tempted to helie'"'e ^'-ith

Pnmetiere that his f-ults may really "be the condition of his gen-

Ins .

For the style of Palzac can grip even those "'}no are hos-

tile, v'ho struggle against his sednction. We have already cited the

case- of Faint e-Reuve;( 1 ^ here is an additional testimony in "'hich

( 1 ) S<»e—artrore-f . . , 7

style is specifically mentioned : ""^t malgre tont.ll y a dans ce

style unei rnlssance de sensuallsme.plns encore que "ê r'âllsme,

qnl vons domine.vo^js entraine,nalgre les re-'-'oltes du goît. / tra-

vers cette incorrecte et lahorie^jse prollxite.ces trivlalltes ê^-

cherchees,cette affectation dn 'êtail ignohle et tas.on sent r'ans

ce style ime verve ir.terienre, Intarissahle.et dans 1 •ecri'âln ce

qn'on a si hien appele le diahle au corps. Ft si le diahle an

corps ne d nne a personne ni la grande eloquence, ni la g-rarde po-

esie.ll peiiTT donner, 11 donne a. Palzac, dans toMt ce qM»ii ecrlt.Je

ne sai?' quelle imperleiise magie et quel prestige qui dom.ptent

les ecprits les plus rehelles et s'ircposent Irresistahlement a la

cnrioalte al non a la s.ym.pathie. (.O^-Caito, Tocês ei^""' »«'-'«'-*,/' ?^"X^

Priinetl^re,"'ho Is nxre faôr-hly inclined towards Pal7,ac, analyzes

the causes of his pow-^r : Tans 1^ roman comme an theatre, nous

nous sommies apercus que le style ne consistait essentiell'^'ment nl

cans une correction dont le merlte,en scmjre.re "a pas an ''.«»la de

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a"bcn(lanoe,dans mti f :ux de dlscours qnl finlssent — alr.Hl la

prose cle George Sand —par rtonner la sensation fie la F,onc*.onle ;

nl dans ce.tte ecriture artiste qiil a fait le desespolr de Flau-

fcGrt.n-.als peut-etre et unlqueFient dan? le don de falre "-Ivant

.

Oi.i ili:tGt encore : falre ^l^'-ant ,volla, messieurs .ce que 1 'artiste

moderne se propose arant tout; C'est la-dessus qne noDS le Jnge-

one; c'est ce qui assîre.en deplt des maltres d'ecole,la duree

de son o'eiivre; '^t enee s^ns .Kesslei^rs ,le style, tel que les gram-

rarlens 1 'entendent ,n'est et ne dc.lt etre qn 'nn moyen...La vie est

qiielquechose de ttele.je ne vols po'j>*qiiol .le ne d Ira Is qiêlq^ê chose

de trouTDle, File est le rrou.vement qnl *derange les llgres,* Kile

est confTislon,descrdre,illoglsir:e,lrrogiTlarlteo Rlen n'est pins

divers, et rlen n'est plus coinplexe. On I'altere en la siir.pliriant

;

on I'eteint en la fIxant . Changer,rmer,evolner,c 'en est la def-

inition Een:e. On ne la saJsit un rr;Oirent,on ne ncns en donne I'lni-

tat ion, 1* Image, la sensation qn'en se falsant sol-ireme anssl chan-

geant.pour alnsl dire.aiissi sonple , ondcyant qi.i'elle. C'est ce que

Moliere,Salnt-Sln!on,et Balzac ont essaye de falre. . .C'est anssl ]L

I'ldee que nous pouvons opposer hardirrent a tontes les critiques

que I'on a faites ou que I'on fera du style de PalzaCo"(?)

(3) Etrj(dee,U<rttle|ue8,Voa.VTT;p|3,f,9^t,3oo

Judged frorr this point of view the effectiveness of a

style r.ay Toe ev^n enhanced Tdv its heJng at tjnes incorrect. Mere

perfection is norotonous .Insipid like an over-ripe fruit .w/v-ne the

Inccrrect.as ahncrrral and nnusual

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100

arrests the attention, and \T tne ireanlr^ Ip still clear, tn«» Im-

presf'lon iray te ircre lastlng^ftw?- as Prmetlere says a certain

Irregularity and confîslon gives what itlght "be called an ono-

R'atapoelc representation of lire. Put It requires irore genius

to Vie unconventional and effective than to h.<e conventional and

correct. The incorrect is not something to he irritated, it rrust

grow up out of the nature of the author and the requirements of

his suhject.it is personal and human, and through "being so it is

more appealing. Certain idiosyncrasies of language leave gaps

through rhlch we can catc^ glimpses of the author, A soher fault-

less style would give us a very imperfect idea of }âlzac,hls pow-

crmi perscnalitj' and child llKe naiveness.his exh-'iherant imagina-

tion v'hich "brushes aside all restrairts of refInem.ent .Ms 'Eter-

nally active and self-lrto:xlcatlr^ mind, his all pervasive sensual-

ity —ar.d after all Palzac is the moat Int-^resting character in

tê Corned ie humalne, ^'^.en ^re hal"!c at the style, It Is really the

ran that is distastef'Jl to us. To borrow from the pv^llosphy ofla

Rochefoucauld, perfect ion may he said to he oppressive, pairf-il to

our ajRiiayirEilPJ'r® i ^'Mle ther^^' is a certain pleasure in heir.g ahle

to plcK flaws in genius; they sêm to excuse some of our own. and

—to he a little more optiirlstic concerning hum.an nature — they

give us m.cre of a fellow-feeling, a more comprehending s^nnpathy

for the author, Ealz.ac's excesses in other directions may well

re-ult in some measure from his continual use of figures of speech.

When you speak of the arms of a tree tê expression Is strictly

speaKlng incorrect , and the hahit of using words in other than

their normari sense tends to make one careless about meanings and

relations, Balzac came to feel hlnself a master of language, "-hi ch

001

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arx-Bs 9Vi39l 93i5tf§rri3l lo BelsfitOfivaoI^jt rrljs^TeO . .MntlBSiXje ptoit

-stl(f.3t -tsrros A.- .torfjf'B 9rf.t °ô aesginllg rfo.tBO niso S',v rfoltv -LSt'o-rij'

-woq sI.'-f.OBSlBjT "to BSf't .t09lT'=>;.rTrl y-rf^v b arr sîg Mtrow 9i'/;>t.'3 anol

-BrrigRitil ;t,nr3i'ft<ff'rfX9 =^l.ri, assnsviBn 9->i:.tie£i"fo brio y.tJt I BnoaTfJcr i:''*TD

-t9>t^ airf, JiT9iTi9nn9'T iO e.tilBT.tasT IIb ©htsB asriairrcf 'ôi:-''.^ nol.?

-rnfr3j^98 9Vi8BVT9q tlB alrr.fijTl-TT S-^-t'JfiO-tÔ^--t-1I?5f3 fJI^B evl.tOB Y-tl5!T

.it *t9JofiTBrlb'' sa'l:it''?9-r<i3Tfl iffofi 9rri ai obsIbT XIb t9j"T:b |)rrs— y.,tl

9i1.t yllBS't 8l .tt,9ly.t8 9(-î .t.s ^flBcf 9''/ figrf" .gfilBKr^rf 9jtft9-r(op 9rf^

-^RJTo' yf^qao'lifqr erfJ' mo-Tl v/OT-rocf oT .arc 6^ Itfê:t8sJ3l'h e^' .tsi.t hbtt

o.t 'lf'tTl.eq,9Via89Tqqo 9cr o.t Îbs srf yB-rr no i.t o e"rt r- q, Bl .trBD trot 9 rfoof

9lcfB grtiscf nJt ©TfrBB9Xq nlB.tteo b el '^rs'^'.t 9lJt'1''' ;9tqo'rq-'TtrO'T!B -rrrb

SrfB.rfwo -Tfo I0. STios 98rrox:9 o.t ;!ie^3 y9'it ierins"^ iTt awBit Moiq o.t

vBrii — 9Tif;tBn nB.Tit'rf gnlnTSorroo oUstni^qo 9T0:t[ 9t.t.tll b e'f oi—y.'ttBqsT'ia 3.Tif)n9r(9't:qnioo ©toirr B.grrtl'gfiT'-worisl b "To ft-foa atr evi^

Il9w yBfn anolJo9Tif) *T9rf;to rrl aeaasoKS a'oB.^lB?! .to'l.ttfs 9r{,t TO'i

4299178 lo 59*i:rr"^tt lo sat' Isrfnttrjoo airf 'no'T"!! 9'Tir3B9;Tt 9;noa n.t ^Xcr-gT

ylJolTta al fioiaa9'Tqx9 9rft 99t.t b "to 8:«fs f..r[.t lo >fB9q3 iroy ne-fV

HBrt.t •tsrf.to nl afifo''' gntatr lo tirfBrf 9ilt f)rfB, .t09T'TOorcJt S'l-t'f-^sqs

Dhb BgnlnBg:.-! Jrro<^B 3a9l9"t60 erro 95is:n o.t 3bfT9t 98n93 nsi-n-ron -xl^rli

r^''- r^''",93Bf'snBl to -rgtas.-n b ties -Iff l9?-t ot 9;tico OBSIsfT .anoi.tBlST

101

ne couW ir&nlfl as pi:.tty fcr Ms purposes; from tni? fe«=llng of

irastery to a tendency to abnse tliere Is "but a step.

An Idea Intlnated ty Prinetlere In the aôve Tnoted

passage, Is more definitely expressed bv Fippolyte Castllle : "Cn

lit nn roiran de i;.de Palzac avec ce genre d'lrter'^t qîe I'on

prend a regarder passer I'err'e^Jte dans la me." And we do get

sorr.etnir^ of tlie lirpression of dcdglng through a ir'Otley throng

on a crowded street, where we see the woman In silks and fîrs

jostling the laborer cn his way home from worlr.the tir^^d office

girl ?^nd the giddy searchers after pleasure, the "blind heggar and

the young couple interested onlv in themselves; we hear the cry

- of the newshoy.the metallic notes of the hand -organ, mingled with

'the rattle of wheels; a pell-mell conglomeration of visual and

auditory sensations. For some, such a scene has a strange fasci-

nation; otl-iers even find a morhid pleasure in roam-ing through the

centers cf poverty, disease, and insanity; still others p>-efer the

solitude of their room:s or the smooth flow cf conventional soci-

Gty, Literary tastes vary in the sam'e way. It is t^-îe that a ^m.an may find pleasîre in a book which deals "-ith conditions that

would he unrearahle to him in real life; the-ê is Pome^hlr.g of lip

the lure cf the unknown, which is denied external mianifestaticn

through pride, convent ion, physical or aesthetic "barriers. Palzac

goes f.lummiirg rather too often,i^n.t,when one has r'âd ^ncugh of

him to get the proper p'^rspecti-'ê.the general iiripressiC'n is of tft

the pletbora of ^'ariegated life that throngs the streets at cer-

tain hours of the day. The multiplicity and complexity of the im-

prentiione received hy the author renders his style em"barrassed and

latjored.hut this fault, so easily avoided hy one who has less to say

10

1

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102

^ ceases to be a fault when It êlps to reprdîce In t]^^ irlnd of

t>e reader the lirpresslcn of tê r'nthor.

We na"''e spoKen rr'ncn of the rrate"^lallsn: of Palzac.and not

In a la'iflatory irarner.tnt this ^-^^ry rrate-^lallein.iTilxed as U. Is

v'lth a certain arronnt of jdeallsui, intensifies the Illusion of

life, P poetic character attracts i:s, appeals to oîr hotter na-

t-iires ,hnt "'? are reit'lrded rather of what rr^lght he than of what we

Know to hCo We have fr'â'Tently exTerlencefl a shock at the real-

isation that the greatest of rrien anri the most lofty of ir.oveaents

have their rraterial and often r<^pTilslve sides; the rrore intirate

our association with man, the rrore does his anliral nature ftand out

for the riiajor portion of onr tirre and energy is ahsorhed hy thfe^-

concerns of physical existence. On the other hand we are fre-

quently siirprlsed at the loftiness of the aspirations and l^Seals

which we find perrrieatlng the most prosaic of lives. Palzac, em-

phaslzes too much the physical and materizl side, l-ai*- his m.en andA

women, exaggerated as they are, Impress r)s as creatîres of flesh ail

and hlood and not ajpl abstract ion„ The sty le, laden with material-

ism, Intensifies this irpresslon "by an aim.ost physical reaction on

lis. Ir this connection, a citation of a prot'^stlng critic Is Int.*

terectlng.as an adm.lsslon that for adequate description th^^ style

m.-ist i.artake of the nati:re of ^he thirg described. Tr speaking

of Balzac's style l;.Caro says : "Ponr le blen deflnlr 11 fmidrait

1 'Imlter, . .11 a nn choix de mots o'^ eclate nne sensual Ite a la

fois violente et rafflnee.d 'nne slr.guiiere pîissance snr 1 'esprit

et d 'nne contagion presque irresistible. Pi je ne redoutais d »em -

plover ces abominablefl mots de la science medicale.dcnt abîse si

solvent Falzac.je re serais pts aussl embarasse qne Je le suls

pour rendre ma pensee.et je pourrals alors 'lesigner avec precision

501

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1C2 -a

c-tte B-aladle cles nerfs qui envahlt son lir,a.glnatlon tent entlere

et I'aglte ccnviilslven.ent , "f 1

)

(1) F.caro^/ poetes et Rcinarclers .pp.3S5 and 36U, otner

critics fr-q^ently ^)se figures slnliar to these of Palzac.

^-hen t>-,e.y atter.pt to flescrlDe Ms pevgonallty and work.

Cf. Tair.e and Gautler.o^.cit

.

•T9nj*0 .-i^a^ f)rr.s i??? .qq, ST^iortBOTOB ^'§' 6eil6^ ''^ ,OtB0."T (I)

co;ici,usiOK

The psiTcA'iOlo-^v ol style is too dolica.te anti Gori.plax a

subject to perirat of an ej;]iaustive analysis. -- conpltte study

of tliu origin of Palzac' s,. f iîures >.oulci liave t- take into account

every phase of his corpiea. j-ersonality , every iiofluence, external

or internel, eirotional, intellectual, or physical, lastinir or

ir.omertary , to v/hi.ch he was sutjected.^:- 'hese eler.ents do not

-:;-: ote for example such an expression as:'', ui verse h

I'heure dite un thd iS-uave-^savapriefit. d^pli€' (L .p.-Strt), in

which the peculiar use oi d^pl

i

i, i^: p^-obcbly explained

by Balzac's thought of his oun precious t..a^-vv]':ich he kept

in paper covered v/ith hieroglyphics and tlie liinwrapxîng O'f^

"^f. Leon C-o::lan, Balzac en pantoufles, p.'^B.

as a kii:d of cereirony. .'SiEiaExiy Similarly the .:

,

i loweraisetitr him. byihias friends, the Duchesse de Castries

and Louise while, he! vwa si vifriting the-Ij^s dans la, yall^v

, ay avs suc:êsted! offirtain corj-parisons to i . " ! \\.

consecutive tJ. e.t'fce2?a-tLci I ouiSQV;expiresg ethanes 4;or']5ifts of

flowers, three of th.din-,inentionin2; also. t}ie Lys dans. ,.1_p

vs.llde^r/k;f-iG-orrespondance, p. 263:T-f.:f..y»Also there are the

infinite psssibilltios of literary influence by suc^'t .men

as Fousseau and Chateaubriandj the similarities between;."

the figures of I!alzac and Ui'^se of Rabelais and Sa.iii.t'iJ^^

SiiT.on result fro". a similar bent of c.in^. ratiier;than, frojii

i:, itation.

manifest themselves sinr^ly; they combine, theiy, interact, they

counteract each other, and the fi;3ur^s, ':hen spontaneous, are

forned as naturally as crystals are precipitated froiE a chen;ical

solution. '-.it in rr;y discussion it has been necessary to Isolate

J;3i Joje^i.

the individual elenerits and treat t]-eir. as distinct forceE; also

definite statement of- a. r;^re tendency, necesEary in order to

specify and explain it, appears to exa-;-erate its ir;:p'")rtance

and to mindn.ize the many dicturbin^; and contradictory :ereinents .

Confusion ^ ill result uiiless vve keep in mind that such an isolat-

ion of individual tendbncies is r.-ally artificial though unovoid-

able> that 'they all conibine; in a eoEiplex personelity, throuj-h the

iii,edA;yin of ;wMch several mayt find expression e in the sair.e figure

of' speejCJ:!..' 'H-'he f oil ovring. •epiiclus ions, e one i d or

o

d.-. in-- the ' 11 rht

of,- ,tjae.; above stateinent. iray he considered £S the result of our

study

.

The figures of speech forir- an important t>ler.entdr :r;lzac's

realistic rnethod. ;.In.., thier: he atterqjts to convey n ore completely

ajad rpre vividly his own sensations than it would be possible

for hinrto do.. with conventional French' prose. in his sttitiude

towards Ir.ncuagjeche ,/is related to s ,r-eneral liberalistic tendency

of his are, and rore especially he follcvs Vr.e lead of other

original ce^niuses with crentive pov/ers sirilar to his O'vn --

Fabelais, '.olicrejand Saint-^Sirion -- who creeteo for themselves

a r:êdiumtj,,suited to .vh.at th-sy âd to convey. Possessin," a vivid

iF.a -ination,.,whi6l:il^n:ounts at times almost to '^.allucination, '/alec

is inclined to liolc th.at a word, even abstract, should produce

a concrete imaê in the ;r.iKd of the- reader; but he realized also

that S;Uch, is not the case in tlie faded n.odern speech. ':'he

logical method to induce the formation of a concrete ima'ê that

will leave a lastin- impression is by the simile and inetaphor.

"^he fi,fiUres serve also as an out for Balzac s sentirriental

effusions; by a succession of coriparisons he seeir.r. to batlie

hiiTiself voluptuously in certain err.otions. I-urtherr.ore he uses

.liUUOiiJ- i;:xj.

ivtollol

vfioo oj .- xija, m/xLic ,; .a

:Ail:jijLx d.^ixJ Je cJauo ,.^ ::.oi.^ noiiB.

the firûree as stylistic ornarients. "'hese tv/o tendencies, v/hlchare

are rat]ier roiriantic traits, HppEXP especially evi(ient in. the

Ijvs__dans la vail de^

"hile t]':e fi^^ûres are often effective, a universal verdict

of excessiveness needs very little restriction when they are j^V^

judged froir. an artistic point of view. There are too ir.any figures,

they are frequently too pretentious or too ir.aterialistic; as a

result partly of tliese last two traits, we find r.any cor:pa.risons

othat are not apt or apprpriate , which fact, together v/ith the

occurence of incoherent figures v/ould indicate an imperfect

analysis of the similarities between the tv."o objects compared.

If ive^ seek an explanation for tl'e forn: of Balzac's figures,

ot'êr than Ids natural indelicacy and lack of a certain artistic

and critical sense, t' e follov.ing points suggest themselves.

l^,"'alzac's faculty of losing hir.self coir.pletely in his

character^ causes him to use expressions that would be natural

only as used by a loustou of a Fridâu v.horr. he is painting; a

strong character tends to set the tone of tl-e book and he

influences the expressions even of the ot]ier characters.

2;^,:âlzac is primarily interested in the internal workings

of the hurân soul, but not being a psychologist he seizes upon

theirs by an intuitive ir.agina tion rather than by observation and

expresses tlieF. in teri-s of something that he can see,v;hile, on

the otiier hand, physical object^ for which he had an adrr.irable

vision are usually described literally. Thus a large proportion

of his figures are concrete expressions of spiritual phenorfiâ,

and t)ie indefinite irx^.ression that they frequently give is

probably due to a vagueness of conception on the part of 'âlzac.

aijs \j9rict nariw aoxj oiîasT: sl-tJ'il Y^^v' absan a-asrtsvisasoxa lo

'nloq olJ8iJ"iJS ni5 Tfo^^ bs-^bsJl

.; 3iJ joiJaxlBiatiJwn ooJ -lo nuo iJnaJarcq ooj vUrieupst'i sTfs -ârfj

too Y"

'

• btj ow^ cfsfll 33diii lo vliisq .tlysat

9r(>J riJiw êrfJ^3oJ ,aOJHi ji-jiifw , sJbx' -o Jq.e J-on ^^5 JerfJ

Jo^l^^qmx hb eJsoibni bluow aeixJi^xT. j-nts'îîioonl lo ^^^yîJôo

.b^^Bq;noo 3Jo3i,ô ow^ arfJ asawiacf aoiJiTGlx ' 'to aia^LBciQ

LI a'ojssiB" ' >snsi(|xa hg Aaâ ^3v/ 'il

;': iSi'Jo

.30 BoiJ ito bn.fi

[vf- j8.U-aa'-''Xc3âjBTjSf<o

, gôj-os'ijs: ':K) Isaa'tcixy a>{i aaorfauXlnx

.nnijiaow IsmaJni S'lJ" ni; beJastaJni iiq si oBSlsg.^S

•frcfx/: ess] ''ucf tlLfOB aBrûrf srfi lo

bne ndl>JB^' ^ 3vxJiijJr£x hb ^d '^s^'i-^

no ,9lxfi%,sea n/' • nx .nt9ff:f aeaasiqxe

alcfsTxni; -O-'^ Iso j.aY.-'^'^l t&nBrf T:8r{.:to ariJ'

oxJioq'- • rstsJxI bscfx'Toasb' ir-£-E^J^3i^ ^"^^ ^rtolalv

(jf^^rnonsri' anciassnrfxa' 9J'^ôrto^ 9T8 aanuslT: airf 'lo

The predOEinatirg raterialisr. of t'/e figures is rt-lsted also to

the attitude oi mind of t: c realist who sees the animsl and TiBt-

erial sides of hunian nature, in contrast to the roirianticist,

exeifiplified by Victor •lUt^o, in who"**'we find rtianifested in the

figures J of speech a tendency to elevate inanimate nature.

3^, The ir.ost strikinj^ feature of Dalzac's fi£rures in t' e

fusi'-n of ideas and in;a£:ination which they present and as reSult

of which they fall into well-defined groups according to the

corce^, tion underlying the coiiparisons . Tl'iere is a continiial

interaction between the conception and the figure: Balzac seer^.s

.e/7certaiito visualize concrete.foertain bahal figures end to deduce fror

theF. a scienliific tlieor:" feal relation betv/een the tv.'o

concepts coripared; or ' '.lier hand, the materialistic concept-

ions of hur.an nature, expressed in Louis Lambert and growing out

of "^alzac's general theory of the ur-ity of oil creation, are

constantly finding expression in the figures of the Lys dans la

vallde, and soinetiiaes the figures is absolutely K.eahingless

unless We trsce out its relations to the ryaasi-scientific theories

of the author. The result is an all-pervasive materialisrr; Vvhich

jar the poetic pretention of the book all tlie Fibre on

account of the minuteness of tie comparisons. Falzac visualizes

the figures so clearly V. ' fails to distin.;uis]-: between the

figurative and lit|eral expressions.

In seeking to explain the operation of lialzac on >iis readers

t'ore are three points in his style 'tliat should be considered.

];^, re of speech forces ' ilatc a

definite ii;sro ':efore l jrificarce

of what is being saidj thus tie idea is ;!'->re forciblj: impressedft

on him than by a piec\ of sr:ooth conventional prose, v.here,

since the grami.'iatical and logical relativns so nearly coincide.

' ^ "' :'."'"'_:;io.i: 1 1 :. ^ .!- -c^^

' " '^ ^ — - cAili^Jfa ^.a: "" '',"

"' arf.t rf-oiffw lo

.j,.ai'i::ij:. .:ioni-i;;^ ^ 'j;ii3nnij. ;noiJ»q^j>rfOO

oi ixJriSXQS s nariJ-

-.. );ico axo 3.1. i.,7X"iy J."^ .'

. aiq=>:9noo

jiio -irilv;0' --. ^ wa lo aîc

3T6 jnoiJ 5..'io ilc ":c ^;Ji '-• " '.j

gI :^;i^^ 'îjajojaaoo

a^:. :-;x a .;. i. sjmxJjjoa ijii-B ê 5*11.«v

' 3^lnu

..i,X.oX iv-.' .' ;:JiJ3 ailJ iO

511X^X18 : ÂiWOSB

3 -IS' at-iarivt

bassQ'i:

there is no incentive I'or t' c forraation of concrete iia.'j.es for

the individual .vords. . < urtain ;)oint 11:6 style tl.at re-

quires the greatest i.ental effort to understand nay be t' e r ost

effective for an a 'lose purpose is not to trpnv ''tract

ideas hut to produce an illusion of Ufa, to create.

'rl,(i,rt_rt;'-in irrefûlarities ord confusion of style îve a

more gre, ^ Icture of life ^ 1:"~j l,;^^ some of its iu;'-li ties

;

also being less conventional, more personal tliey . ./.to

r.iora intimate relations with the author.

3j«j(âtsrialisr:i of style rray aid in giving a nore vivid

picture of life as we knov/ it; the iiripression /iven is tisat if

the real as oj.posed to tlie ideal.

In ah©^, a Sttid/? of the^figurfescana iKe &l^le..of I'^-aiaais

shO'i'S ..that- the|r' bear fen MntiDctte; relation to l-is cor.plex person-

ality and to his subject matter, and that their operation on the

reader is largely due to tlîs fact.

In view of what has been said, ./e rây a.sk ourselves yihQ.t

vrlll be the fate of "âlzac at t'..^. hands of future generations.

It has been pointed out that artistic perfection of style, being

largely a r.:atter of convention, lacks a certain pj'rsonal' appeal

.

.: ut m as ii.uch as t'le conventions of art are fairly stable in a

given race or group of races, th.is very Irr'.personality gives a

F.ore lasting and more universal ch.aracter to a literary work; as

custo.MS, interests, ideas, and points of view cliange, the personal

appeal of s.n autlior is liable to fade, even for those whose cast

of rind 'A'ould naturally incline tl err to be enthousisstic adr.irers.

This is especially true for on autlior \v]io represents the rrdnd

and soul as so iii.tiratel^' loi'^^-' i\^ 'vit;- physical existence; the

universal and eternal nature .-. '^ - '^ anif cstations is obscured

^-•-' V e e." t: .''"r:,-;! fcler.entr-, ' .i(''i, rTn^**^

jaaxJ'ilKfrr

' ic! .:§Cy I« sH/ i^rn

^.niec'

avidr:

3 a ,

"".rii 'g%'orfB

.'vteuT

forr;erly an aid to coiivicin;;; rsali^.B tion, bc;con;e o hindranct ahen

the age has --rovvn either less familiar or less int-rbstln,-

.

llter.'.r'" v.orl-: in order to fendure should have a universal appeal

eit'-er as a v.orlr of art or as a document of the'huân sou], h(:.r;C6

it is not irr.prohable that the readers of the real Balzac -- not OTfj

the author of Û£L^nie f^raxidS-t or Ffere ..C.orl_Qt-- v.'ill be itore andv/ill

rore restricted to those whoôvcrcor.e prejudice and rental inertir

' and put theKSsjIves as far as possible in the author's world, lor

such -readers the Cor..^die^ humaine v/ill always offer an unlirited

store of riches.

:îBLioar. .

. cori^lcto biblio^rapiiy of Falzac would include soi-e thousaxnc

titles an('. I hope in the nenr future to tskt rhvt in the puhlicft-

- '

.' ut here, since t-e raterialc for the present

study must necessarily be flrawn largely frorr; a study of tht;

CoE^îe' hurraine itself, I have tried to li; bibliography

as wuch as possible. andThere are tv/o section;:; tlie first includes

the works that I have found rr.ost suggestive in t'leir discussion

of '-alzac's style or in their appreciation of t'-u co:-_ ' "

personality of the man; the isecond inclueleG general discussions

of figures and style, and studies of individur" -o? t-

of theory and method of attack. The citations from ; alz^c are

froii the definitive edition, ''ich.el-Levy, 24 volumes, ôrirv, 1876.

ri\yEaldens(jer.g:fer<?^tuues d^histoîre littdraire. 2'^ s^rjjj, 'ach:ette, I&IC

. rrrifere, L'oeuvre de li. de Salza^j^ ^tude litt^raire et

phllosQphiaue sur I a (M3gjî_e hurâine^j Calrann-I (=vy, 1£90.

Paul Botirget, Introduction to the F.epeôire de La corned ijejTUJiîne

d e ". de Ealzac of A. Perfberre and J. Thristophe, pp. I->"III,

• ,'] eaimahri-li^vy, '.;i£9?.

F. Prunetibre, Monord de.Palzac , Calmann*Lt5vy, 1906.

Ftudes cri tiqu.es,, Tf s_|rie, .".acl ette, 1905.

.^ CabandsV Falzac iînor^ , 2^ ^d., , F. : ichel, 1911.

'F^") '~f^J"0>V P2^t;£§ 6t_¥'_oinanciers, ''achette, IFFG.-^ .

l^^Faûet, FaJzac, -c-,.*n4-i , "achette, 1913.

.'âulj Flat/ Fssais sur Falzac, "Ion, 1F9F.

Seconds essais sur Falzac , Flon, 1894.

Thdo..hile Pautier, For tra i t s _c orvt emp ora in s , Charpentier , 1874.

L. Cozlan, Falzac chez lui, souvenirs des Jardie^, Michel-F^vy , 18c^

.

Falzac en ântoufles, ] 'ichel -I ^vy, 1SG5.

- .

" c'-reton, Falz a£^_lJ_Fo-;jr.e__et 1^ oeuvre , A. ro]in,lSC5.

.IS, .3£)Xd iJ-

.^1^. ^j. .Ll'i:.

1^1 , .3 vt J

ioj.JiJ*i • SI

F. "'oltines, Balzac., Ilevub de deux r.ondcs. if^' noveniVirfc. 1PA2.

r. !'oore, Shakespeare and ralzac. Century /.a [âzirie, "oLFB, pp.F.'-Qg,'^

' ^'

1914.

J Pdrbs, le r..ystlcisme de la volont^ chez "alzac, Hercure^d^^rranc ,

1*^^ juill et, 1908.

Pontr.artin, Causeries littjraires^ 2^^ .î_tlon, :'ichel-l^vy, 1855.

Causeri es du samedi , nouvelJLe ^dijbion^ " Icl.el-: ^vy,lH7 5.

Sainte-' euve, Fren:iers lundls, Vol. 2, Calriann-J cvy, 1894.

Portrai ts conteinp.oralns_j Vol. 2, yichel-I dvy, 1870.

^l£ii££r.ij,^.-^-'^y--ly-Rd.ij '"ol. 2, ^smler, 1857.

T aure de Surville, Balzac, sa vie etses deuvres d'aprbs sa

correspondancs, published as introcjuction to the definitive

edition of "alzac's works.

. ""sine, Uouveaux essals de critique et d'histolrej 7^'^^^ (Edition,

: achette, 1901 .

. "erdet,. Portrait imtime de Balzac^-?.?:. „-Xi£?. son humeur et son

caract^re. -entu, 1869.

, Zola, I e roman ejgjJrjjnentaJLj,^ Charpentier, l$fip.

L e^s r oir.an c i ers najûral i s t e s , ri-.arpentier, 1910.

Spoelbach de -ovenjoul,Autmir_ de Jf^^^^^^ CalFL8nn-Pdvy,1897.

T;;[n_jônian d'airiour, Calmann-I ^vy, 189G.

' istoire de. deuvres d e Palzac, 3"-^ ^ci(bion,

ralrcann-Ldvy, 1888

II

A. Albalat, L'art d' dcrirs, ;. . Colin, 1910.

Chi "ally, ^"raitd de gtylis .

"

'. ^c]>, Pari£.:,19r' .

runot,i in:";;uistic sections iij .-etit dt Jiillbviile, istoire de 1

lanrueê t de la littdi , . 'I-"III, >'•. .Colin, 18 91

• Jrul "oiir;;et, I.ssais de "..,?-•

. i ,33.IoV ^enLSiB'rn r

&v li laileb

<

-oidixijc!

F. I. Cari.&nter, : o taf.hcjr,

'^r.d 3 Iruil 6 in t'r.o MjLr.or Mina>:othPr

' rreia . C'lica^:o disserbaticn, 1P£Z..

. u~iiet, 1, Cb Ir f-. ctor 'n.^o,

, If:].".

.'La^tcro:

o fiir

ICCC.

r, Pliil oso ^l"jy of—'

,''

I' y ?' '

r!

.' i t i on ," a r £ t •^, (. . 1 r (

Vita

Born Hear Pulpeper, Virginia, Tuly 12, 1R9G, I received r?,y

prelir.inary traininj^ froE private instr ictlon and at the

ândolp:i-"acon Acader.y, Bedford City, Virginia. In Septen-.ber

1906 I entered Randolph-"acon rollege, wi.ence I was graduated

with th.e degrees of r'achelor of Arts in 1909 and ''aster of Arts

in 1910. The next three years were spent as professor of Irench

and Oerjuav. at "'illsaps College, Jackson, T'ississippi . Turing the

sumr.or of 191"^ I studied '^(oii-.ance languages at rolurbia University,

and in the fal] of the sane year I entered the Johns ''opkins

^ni versity , taking Irench as my cajor subject and Spanish and

Italian as r.y first and second subordinate subjects respectively,

''ûring my first tv/O years I held a Virginia scholarship-) and at

present I hold a Ur Iversity fellowship.

"incb my entrance in this university I have attended the

courses of Professors Armstrong, ''orize, Brush, T eguy, "ârgan,

Carcassonne, "'arden, Shaw, Jove joy, and Bloonfield, to all of

whom I wis): to express ir.y appreciation for their stimulus and

guidance in scholarship. I wish also to express iry indebtedness

to Professor Dargan for his advice and inspiration in tr.e study

of Balzac, and to Professors Arn:istrong and Carcassonne for trieir

sympathetic suggestions and for their invaluable aid in the prepar-

ation of rr.y manuscript.

V h.-.viaoeT I ^0981 ,SI ^lu , • r,-.-

'liidT.aiqeo nl .exai^Tx'^' ,Yîri btoT:ba? ,' ...... .^........^

L>©Jbjj.E)bi2 aew I sonsi'w ,9S9lIoT nooje""-ri ,-.v^trt^ t cêr

aJiA lo ^^J•3B"' bn^ G06X nl a.:frtA lo toIarloB .^ ^c— - -• - - -1..

rionat'^ lo ôa3aIO^q sb inaqa 9^8w aiJSSY ^9^ri^ J-xan erfT .OIGI ni

erlJ sf^xiifl . iqcixaeiasiv tno3?IoBL t83eIIo3 aqBSlIi'/ Jb^'« •>-'"' f'r^-

t\;Jî3i3vxnU BicfrrrwIoO Jjs asaBWsnjel sonsmo? beibuia I ^•IC^ .. .^..u.^j.. .

snxjiqoH snrioT, ©n'J bstsJns I ^BaY smbb arii lo XIbI &r[i ni bns

JbnB fialnjsqe bnB iost,cf03 ôt,B-^ ^rn as n'onsTl snx>Is^ tY-J^""^"' '

-svlôsqaST e-Joetcfue ©.tBnxbiocfua bnoosa bns JetxI x^ sb . ..:

.qxriawollsl Y-^-^stsvinU b blori I Jnsc^\ x

::i-o babneJJ'B avert I \i lansv infs bI"-* '^ aoaB'T:Jn3 ym aonlc

,i'XB2iBa ,Yix3aI tHaun^ 53s;It[o" tSric i.- aioaaaloT^ lo aâ'isjoo

lo IlB Ovt tblellnxooIS bn& ,yc' " ' .wBxia ^mjbnsy ,e^ô33B0^B'^

bnB auljjmicfa nlsriJ io1 no x,tBl ..^- :.;;« Y'n aaaiqxa oJ riaiw I jiorJr.

asnboJdabnx y-''^ aaetqxa oi oals riaxw I .qidstBlofioa ni Bocisbiu^^,

âbiiia adi nx noiJjeixqani bc%& soxvbB exri lol nBs^BC ôâ91o^^ oJ

•iariJ- lot ennoaaBoaBO bnB snoioaimA atfoaaatoT? oJ^ bnB ,0BslBa lo

voi^^q arii nx bxB aldfitrl: : -tarW ôl bnB anoiJaavsua oxâriJ-BqmYs

.oqxToaunB.;! Y^ "ô noxJB

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