(Le prince est en manteau de voyage, assis sur un fauteuil. Le précepteur est debout devant lui. Marc lui sert du vin.)
LE PRÉCEPTEUR.
Votre altesse est-elle toujours aussi fatiguée?
LE PRINCE.
Non. Ce vieux vin est ami du vieux sang. Je me trouve vraiment mieux.
LE PRÉCEPTEUR.
C'est un long et pénible voyage que votre altesse vient de faire... et avec une rapidité....
LE PRINCE.
A quatre-vingts ans passés, c'est en effet fort pénible. Il fut un temps où cela ne m'eût guère embarrassé. Je traversais l'Italie d'un bout à l'autre pour la moindre affaire, pour une amourette, pour une fantaisie; et maintenant il me faut des raisons d'une bien haute importance pour entreprendre, en litière, la moitié du trajet que je faisais alors à cheval.... Il y a dix ans que je suis venu ici pour la dernière fois, n'est-ce pas, Marc?
MARC, très-intimidé.
Oh! oui, monseigneur.
LE PRINCE.
Tu étais encore vert alors! Au fait, tu n'as guère que soixante ans. Tu es encore jeune, toi!
MARC.
Oui, monseigneur.
LE PRINCE, se retournant vers le précepteur.
Toujours aussi bête, à ce qu'il paraît? (Haut.) Maintenant laisse-nous, mon bon Marc, laisse ici ce flacon.
MARC.
Oh! oui, monseigneur. (Il hésite à sortir.)
LE PRINCE, avec une bonté affectée.
Va, mon ami....
MARC.
Monseigneur... est-ce que je n'avertirai pas le seigneur Gabriel de l'arrivée de votre altesse?
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, best known by her pen name George Sand, was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, being more renowned than either Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balzac in England in the 1830s and 1840s, Sand is recognised as one of the most notable writers of the European Romantic era. She wrote more than 50 volumes of various works to her credit, including tales, plays and political texts, alongside her 70 novels. Like her great-grandmother, Louise Dupin, whom she admired, George Sand advocated for women's rights and passion, criticized the institution of marriage, and fought against the prejudices of a conservative society. She was considered scandalous because of her turbulent love life, her adoption of masculine clothing, and her masculine pseudonym.
"Je ne sens pas que mon âme ait un sexe comme vous tachez souvent de me le démontrer"
C’est avec un roman dialogué que George Sand nous démontre l’absence de vérité ontologique dans les distinctions de genres. Gabriel•le se travestie pour pouvoir acquérir l’héritage que son grand père destine à son petit fils qu’il ne connaît pas encore, androgyne chevaleresque entourée uniquement d’hommes elle fascine notamment son cousin qui la convoite. L’avide besoin de possession de son cousin Astolphe mène à la dégénérescence de cette relation ou Gabriel se voit emprisonné dans cette féminité que l’homme lui impose. Elle ne se résigne pas à ce sort impur et songe au suicide plutôt que d’être souillée par l’orgueil masculin.
"Plutôt que d’en subir l’affront, je déchirerai cette poitrine, je mutilerai ce sein jusqu’à le rendre un objet d’horreur à ceux qui le verront, et nul ne sourira à l’aspect de ma nudité"
I really like the premise, the prose and there were some genuinely interesting musings on the nature and limitations of gender, but the format and style George Sand chose for this are to its detrement, at least for me. It reads like a comedy (or rather tragedy) of errors focussing on social criticism but leaving characters and story the bare minimum needed to serve the themes. I was also slightly ennoyed by the jealosy bit and dissapointed by the portrayal of women besides the protagonist. The first half really worked for me, though, and some quotes are still applicable today, it's the second one were the aspects that didn't work for me came into play or become apperant. It's still an interesting read that made me think, especially about Gabriel's identity.
read for my gender studies unit in french lit! this was a really interesting play/roman dialogué that really gets across how Sand felt about her role as a female in french society. Its flawed in a few of its messages, displaying some period-typical internalised misogyny from Sand herself but ultimately i loved the story and the way it tries to redefine a gender binary
omg bin jetzt george sand fan. (die deutsche Übersetzung und das Nachwort waren aber auch grandios.) Super spannende Hauptfigur und krasse thematik (Geschlechtidentität), v.a. für die Zeit aus der das Drama stammt. faszinierender Umgang mit Pronomen uff uff und so gut geschrieben
Ein sehr schönes Stück, welches die Travestie von Gabriel/Gabrielle thematisiert. Gabriel/le wurde bis zu seinem 17 Lebensjahr als Mann erzogen, obwohl er/sie als Frau geboren wurde. Diese Fremdzuschreibung seiner/ihrer Geschlechtsidentität führt zu dem dramatischen Handlungsverlauf. Hat mich sehr an die Texte Rachildes erinnert.
180 Jahre nach seiner Erstveröffentlichung bringt Reclam den Dialogroman Gabriel in einer neuen deutschen Ausgabe heraus. Auf dem Cover ein Gemälde von Romaine Brooks aus den 1920er Jahren, welches Hannah "Gluck" Gluckstein zeigt; beide ihres Zeichens gendernonkonforme Lesben.
Der Titel des Gemäldes - Peter (A Young English Girl) - passt zur Handlung des Romans: Gabriel wurde im Glauben erzogen, ein cis Mann zu sein. Als er 17 Jahre alt ist, weiht Gabriels Großvater ihn in das Geheimnis um sein Geschlecht ein: Seit seiner Geburt wurde er in patriarchal-männliche Geschlechterrollen hinein erzogen, um das Erbe seines Adelszweiges sichern zu können. Als er davon erfährt, dass hinter seinem Geschlecht eine Entscheidung seiner Familie steht, fühlt er sich einer Ahnung bestätigt.
In Frauenkleidern tritt Gabriel auf einer Feier auf; im Scherz mit seinem Cousin Astolphe, der ihn als Mann kennt und dies für Drag hält (ist es das? Gabriel scheint sich in dieser Kleidung unwohl zu fühlen). Als Astolphe beim Umziehen herausfindet, dass Gabriel "eigentlich eine Frau" ist, kann er endlich seinen romantischen Gefühlen für - nun Gabrielle - nachgeben. Die beiden ziehen zu Astolphes Eltern.
Gabriel/le schwankt nun zwischen zwei Lebenswelten: Der Schwiegermutter gegenüber mimt sie mit einiger Frustration, eine cis Frau unbekannter Herkunft zu sein und geht traditionell weibliche Handlungen nach. In den italienischen Großstädten ist er noch Gabriel, fürstlicher und männlicher Nachfahre.
Wie kann unter diesen Umständen eine Ehe zwischen den beiden möglich sein? Gabriel/le muss sich langfristig dafür entscheiden, entweder eine machtlose Ehefrau zu werden - oder aber ein adliger Sprössling zu bleiben, der seine Beziehung nur unter Strapazen leben kann.
Im Zentrum bleiben die sehr aktuellen Fragen: Lassen sich Geschlechtsidentitäten anerziehen - oder nur Geschlechterrollen? Welche Macht haben Patriarchat und Klasse über das freie Ausleben von Geschlecht? Wer entwirft die Normen, und wer schützt sie?
Dabei bleibt der Roman angenehm uneindeutig. Eine endgültige Antwort darauf, wie Gabriel/e geschlechtlich zu verorten ist, gibt es bis zu seinem Tod nicht.
"Siehst du, Astolphe, du hast mich wieder Frau werden lassen, aber ich habe nicht ganz aufgehört, Mann zu sein. [...] Es kommt mir immer so vor, dass ich mehr bin als eine Frau. [...] Ich habe nicht aufgehört, dein Bruder und Freund zu sein, indem ich deine Gefährtin und deine Geliebte wurde. "
Just after finishing this book I thought I could sum it up in one sentence: another drama caused by the desire for male domination over women. And finally, even if the book is obviously of much greater and more important interest, this remains very true. But I would still like to explain the reasons why I liked this piece and why I regret that it has practically fallen into oblivion like much of George Sand's work. First of all, I saw a lot of people who mainly remembered from this play the visionary aspect of Gabriel's character with regard to sexuality. And indeed it would be in bad faith to totally deny Gabriel's resemblance and link with the non-binarity that we talk about a lot today. Indeed, throughout the book, Gabriel's gender identity is very confused. according to the habit and interest of each, who named him Gabriel or Gabrielle. So those who were charged with educating her as a man can only resolve with difficulty and great effort to call her "mademoiselle". In return, her husband, who would like to see her only in her feminine aspect, constantly calls her Gabrielle.The dialogues between the characters are therefore completely borrowed from this succession of different genders that no one finds strange. It is interesting to say that in her correspondence with her lover Musset, Georges Sand is successively called "my friend" "my dear George" and sometimes by feminine nicknames, which refers directly to Gabriel because Georges Sand was also known for cross-dressing . The main character himself declares: "As for me, I don't think my soul has a sex."It is therefore obvious that Gabriel (the novel) is the symbol that gender is socially constructed, and that without an education biased by gender stereotypes, identity is not so obvious. We also see that Astolphe says several times that even if Gabriel's head and mind are influenced by a masculine education, his heart has escaped this influence. He considers that since she is sweet she can only be a woman after all. and yet Gabriel says it clearly at the beginning: there are no feelings or reactions that are specifically masculine or feminine. The reaction is relative and circumstantial to the event and not determined by gender. so it is not because she is a woman that she is afraid in a dangerous situation, but simply because this situation naturally engenders fear . However, I don't think we can go so far as to say that this book is about transidentity.Quite simply because in this story "nature does not make mistakes". Gabrielle does not want to become a man because she does not feel like a woman, she cross-dresses to be able to be free, which makes a big difference. It is not a question of contradictory feelings but rather of a desire for freedom. If dressing like a man is the only way to be free, then she does it. . but it is on this sole condition, the oppression of the female sex, that she does so.In both cases she wants to escape submission and subjugation whether in the masculine form (living as a man to obey her grandfather) or feminine (having to submit to a man in marriage)As proof, she is relieved to finally be able to understand that she is a woman, just as she is relieved to resume her men's clothes when she pleases. Gabriel wants to be free and gender expectations oppress her.
This brings us to the most obvious interest of this book: the condition of women. This book is moving because it shows the impossibility for a woman to be free and treated equally as soon as she becomes attached to a man. Indeed, we expect at the beginning that Astolphe loves her and treats her with respect just as he did when he thought she was a man. but it is clear that the way he treats her changes when she accepts being a woman in his eyes Little by little he becomes jealous and suspicious and accuses her wrongly and everywhere. Love gives way to the desire for domination and complete possession . he wants to hide her and doesn't want her to go near other men even when she's in disguise . The most horrifying passage is his confession of keeping her with him through marriage, showing in this way the carceral and liberticidal nature of marriage at the time for women . love is no longer the driving force behind his actions, it is the will to dominate.Ironically, Astolphe allows himself to spend the night with a prostitute. but this is not surprising since he is a man of his time, where women are despised.We see this with Gabrielle's education because to convince her that he is a man, she is taught to despise women and their weakness. The worst thing is that some women internalize this, like Astolphe's mother who hates Gabrielle because she doesn't find her enough in her place as a woman. She thinks her resignation and devotion are proof of virtue when she is just purely subservient . This play is therefore a call for the improvement of women's education and above all a desire for equality between the sexes in this education. It is also a call for equality in human relationships because all Gabrielle would like is to live with the man she loves without difference in treatment. But George Sand knows that she will probably never see this moment because men and women are so trapped in this system that it will take them a long time to get out of it.It is for the moment only an ideal that seems almost divine. This is what she cruelly makes Astolphe say " Descend then from the empyrean where you mislead your daring flight, and have patience under the yoke of life. Raise your desires to God alone, or consent to be loved like a mortal.You will never meet a lover who is not jealous of you, that is to say, greedy for you, suspicious, tormented, unjust, despotic." In the end, the tragic outcome seems to be the only possibility given the impossibility of changing men and their behavior.
It reminded me of a movie, Yentle by Barbra Streisand Even though the historical context is completely different, in both cases the revelation of the female gender allows love to be brought to light, but that's also what kills it. Yet in both cases the romantic relationship is doomed to failure because man always ends up wanting to establish domination and reduce the freedom of the woman he is supposed to love by reducing her to her social role as a woman. It's crazy how a person's gender breaks the egalitarian human relationship that existed between two people when a man thinks his neighbor is of the same sex. In the film, when Avigdor realizes that his brilliant friend whom he admires is a woman who disguised herself to study the Talmud, he says that it is wonderful and that she will finally be able to resume her place as a traditional woman . And similarly, the honor and free spirit that Gabriel acquired thanks to his education and his disguise as a man, Astolphe admires it and this is what makes him love Gabrielle, and yet he ends up by wanting to take this away from her by imposing on her the role of a submissive wife . Actually I think this book is terrifying because it's really too real. And this is probably what makes this work so brilliant, especially for the time.
Dieser Dialogroman hat mir mein Herz erwärmt. George Sand schreibt einen Roman über die (Un)Gleichheit der Geschlechter, der Liebe, Eifersucht, Freundschaft und Selbstfindung. Gabriel(le), als Frau geboren und zum Mann erzogen, lehnt sich gegen die traditionellen Geschlechterrollen des 19. Jahrhunderts auf. Sie entflieht dem Hause ihres Vaters nach Italien zusammen mit ihrem Cousin, in den sie sich verliebte und der ihr Geheimnis um ihr Geschlecht kennt. Als gebildete Frau mit verschiedensten Interessen lässt sie sich nicht von anderen Normen und Regeln einschränken. Bzw. Sie versucht es. Sie gibt alles, um ihre Interessen auszuleben. Sie ist poetisch,fasziniert von der Natur und Gesellschaft, jagt und reitet, geht mit dem Dolch besser um als mancher Mann. Doch Astolphe (ihr Cousin) wird zu seiner Zeit eifersüchtig. Gabriel(le) will sich nicht von ihm einschränken und flieht in die (vermeintliche) Freiheit. Ein Plädoyer an die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter. Warm, tragisch und einfach großartig.
Auch das Nachwort von Walburga Hülk hat diesen Roman perfekt abgerundet!
Es wird das erste aber garantiert nicht das letzte Buch sein, das ich von George Sand lesen werde!
Une pièce (ou petit roman en dialogue, en fait) qui épate dès le début, impressionne par son exploration de l’identité et du genre, et désole un peu par sa fin tragique. On y reconnaît un peu l’histoire d’amour entre Sand et Musset. Gabriel/Gabrielle est un personnage touchant que l’on a envie de voir heureu.x.se un jour. Une pièce à relire, surtout pour sa première partie.
A brilliant, thoughtful critique of patriarchal inheritance and how such an institution has harmed, and continues to harm, every member of society. Sand makes a lot of feminist points and beautifully portrays the story of one girl's resistance against patriarchy and misogyny, though the ending is left up to interpretation—it could be ultimately be optimistic or pessimistic, depending on how one chooses to analyze it. Personally, I think the format would have worked better as a novella, it's kind of hard to follow all the different characters and dialogues in the text when it's structured as a play.
Une pièce qui témoigne de la finesse d'esprit de Georges Sand et probablement de ses propres interrogations concernant le genre, la sexualité et l'amour. L'intrigue est un peu tarabiscotées, certaines scènes sont longues et un peu ardues (GS dit elle-même que sa pièce est ratée, qu'elle n'y arrive pas, et la pièce ne sera jamais jouée), mais ça reste bien écrit et j'y ai pris plaisir. Gabriel.le est un Orlando méconnu et d'un autre genre, c'est une lecture intéressante pour tout.e féministe qui se respecte.
A lire et relire et relire encore. George Sand pose les questions qu'on se pose encore aujourd'hui : que ce passerait-il si une femme est élevée en homme ? Quels comportements sont innés et lesquels acquis ? Comment l'ego masculin façonne les interactions sociales, les amitiés et l'amour ?
La plume est si légère, j'ai du me forcer à le lire doucement pour en profiter.
La vie des femmes n’était pas évidente au XIXe siècle. Elles n’avaient aucun droit et aucune liberté. Une pièce de théâtre qui m’a fait réfléchir sur le combat, toujours actuel, de l’égalité homme-femme. La définition de l’amour a beaucoup changé aussi. Je pense que Sand était un.e romantique!
honestly what can i say except that gabriel is iconic and has never been more relevant to society. I'm honestly surprised i'd never heard of this book or of george sand before studying it.
Comment est-ce que j'ai pu passer à côté de cette œuvre pendant tout ce temps ? Questions de genre abordées sous une forme proche du théâtre romantique, j'adore, j'adhère.
J'ai beaucoup aimé cette pièce de théâtre ! L'amour, la sexualité et la question d'identité sont placés au centre de celle-ci. Nous pouvons donc remarquer tous les aspects intimés par le patriarcat et, la misogynie que cela engendre.
J'ai beaucoup aimé redécouvrir les usages de l'époque destinés, mais surtout, imposés aux femmes tels que : les vêtements avec le corset, la manière de se tenir et d'évoquer et d'exposer son avis librement sur certains sujets, en société : 4.5/5 !
This is one of those really peculiar and yet remarkable stories from the 1830s that in many ways marks Sand's search for a direction for her women protagonists. What would happen if a young woman were born into a royal family from which it was imperative, for the family's survival and wealth, for her to be a male? And then what would happen if she were raised not only with an education deemed to be "male", but oriented entirely in the belief that in fact she was a "he"? That's the premise on which this story begins. Things don't work out as anyone expected! Having used this class in teaching as well as in research, and having just reread it again for a paper, I find it increasingly amazing, not without some massive problems of verisimilitude as well as Sand's choice of an ending, but still a great work in her continuing evolution.