Mlle De Stermaria and the Fin De Siecle
1993; Columbia University Press; Volume: 84; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2688-5220
Autores Tópico(s)Renaissance Literature and Culture
Resumode Stermaria is mentioned in a major way twice in A la recherche: the first time, the hero muses about her when he sees her in the dining room of the hotel he is staying at in Balbec (II, 48-50),(1) and the second time he is expecting to take her out for a meal in the Bois de Boulogne, but she cancels the engagement (II, 676-88). And to all intents and purposes that is all. However, early draft material for A la recherche suggests de Stermaria was destined to have a greater role in the finished novel. This is evident from two sources, Carnet 1 and Cahier 36. In Carnet 1, we read Dans la [2.sup.e] partie du roman la sera ruinee, je l'entretien- drai sans chercher a la posseder par impuissance du bonheur.(2) Rey suggests that this jeune fille may be a precursor of de Stermaria because they have poverty in common.(3) It is apparent that at this early stage the poverty is not closely linked to someone belonging to the nobility, since 3v[degrees] of Carnet 1 says Dans la Seconde partie ruinee, entretenue sans jouir d'elle (comme Georges par Americain, par Sallenauve)(4) and neither Mlle Georges(5) nor Luigia belongs to the nobility. However, it is possible that this idea did quickly attach itself to de Stermaria (and should have helped to carry her further) since as early as Cahier 36 the poverty of de Stermaria is seen as an encouraging sign by the hero, who hopes his wealth will be able to help him break down the barriers between himself and de Stermaria: he will be able to dazzle her by proposing excursions in a car.(6) The other allusions in Carnet 1 which seem close to de Stermaria are those which speak of and normands: -Les Castellane, les normands, les chatelains anglais, allemand;(7) -J'ai la quatre visages de jeunes filles, deux clochers, une filiere noble, en l'hortensia normand un allons plus loin, dont je ne sais ce que je ferai;(8) -Allons plus loin que Gerard pourquoi se borner a tel reve, tel moment cristalliser dans une seule chose y sacrifier tout, rester a Paris pour Me J. de Castellane une annee, pour la Ste Eugenie une autre annee. Impuissance qui fait ne pas vouloir se montrer dans l'intervalle etc. Revenons a Gerard. Fete a Chalis = hortensia de mes nobles normands. Ce n'etait pas Adrienne. C'etait la voya- geuse de la diligence de Bretagne. Ce n'etait pas la petite Boucher qui allait se prostituer etc.(9) These allusions to hortensias become clearer when one reads Fallois' Contre Sainte-Beuve which in all likelihood reproduces some of the pages ecrites mentioned by Proust in Carnet 1 at 7v[degrees] (among which one finds the hortensias quoted above): Vous me direz que cette famille qui reside depuis deux siecles dans son chateau pres de Bayeux, qui donne l'impression d'etre battu pendant les apres-midi d'hiver par les derniers flocons d'ecume, prisonnier dans le brouillard [...], son nom est en realite provencal. Cela ne l'empeche pas de m'evoquer la Normandie [...] Il est devenu Normand comme ces beaux normands qu'on apercoit d'Honfleur a Valognes.(10) When we turn to examine the early passages concerning de Stermaria in Cahier 36, it will be apparent that she too, initially, belonged to a family from the Midi which had become established in the north-west (Brittany in her case). This Cahier itself shows the important place de Stermaria occupied in the earliest drafts. Written in late 1909,(11) it contains two lengthy passages about de Stermaria(12) which I will examine soon. Stermaria then was prominent early, but is not prominent in the finished novel. There are doubtless many hypotheses one could advance to explain this. …
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