Fiction, Kingship and the Politics of Character in Eighteenth-Century France

Document Type

Book

Role

Contributor

Publication

Mystifying the Monarchy: Studies on Discourse, Power and History

Publisher

Amsterdam University Press

Availability

Check Tripod

Standard Number

9789053567678

First Page

139

Last Page

158

Publication Date

2006

Abstract

This article examines the impact of fictional forms and techniques on attitudes toward the king and royal authority in eighteenth-century France. It focuses on allegorical novels that made the king, Louis XV, into a character and then mocked his authority. I argue that the techniques of fiction demystified the king in the eyes of the reading public and led them to judge him and demand accountability. --author-supplied description

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