{"id":{"repo_id":"cambridge","oai_identifier":"oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/375283"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cambridge/oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/375283","repository":{"repo_id":"cambridge","name":"Cambridge University","base_url":"https://api.repository.cam.ac.uk/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Stendhal and Europe: The Portrayal of National Character and Cross-Cultural Consciousness in the Early Nineteenth Century","abstract":"This dissertation is the first monograph on the subject of Stendhal and Europe. Covering a great range of Stendhal’s writing, and focusing on lesser-known texts and materials, it aims to explore his perception of national character, and the role of inter-European dialogue in his realism. Part One hypothesizes the importance of national identities as integral to Stendhal's anthropological approach. It outlines how Stendhal's European consciousness is expressed through the depiction of national character and subtle, sustained cross-cultural interest in France's neighbours, both to the North and South. By considering numerous moments from a range of his writings in the light of the socio-historical life of the early nineteenth century, we argue that these themes represent a defining feature of his realism. Part Two consists of an interlude of several readings to investigate the relevance of the national character as an interpretative lens for Stendhal’s writings. In particular, we propose a reinterpretation of *Mina de Vanghel* in light of Emile Durkheim's *Le Suicide*, highlighting the use of national characteristics as catalysts of action in Stendhalian fiction. This section emphasizes their strategic importance in character description and demonstrates their crucial and decisive role in plot development. Based on a biographical investigation of Stendhal's diplomatic archives at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we make a case to reassess the underappreciated influence of Stendhal's career as a civil servant and diplomat on his corpus and his realism. Part Three investigates the complexity of Stendhal's identity as a novelist-diplomat, challenging the traditional view of these roles as distinct, and arguing for their complementary nature. Through a detailed study of selected documents, reproduced in the Appendices, it underscores the stylistic relationship between his fictional and diplomatic writings. This research not only illuminates the nuanced ways in which Stendhal depicted national character and cross-cultural dynamics but also reaffirms the relevance of his work to ongoing discussions about individualism and identity, nationalism and intercultural understanding.","abstract_html":"This dissertation is the first monograph on the subject of Stendhal and Europe. Covering a great range of Stendhal’s writing, and focusing on lesser-known texts and materials, it aims to explore his perception of national character, and the role of inter-European dialogue in his realism. Part One hypothesizes the importance of national identities as integral to Stendhal's anthropological approach. It outlines how Stendhal's European consciousness is expressed through the depiction of national character and subtle, sustained cross-cultural interest in France's neighbours, both to the North and South. By considering numerous moments from a range of his writings in the light of the socio-historical life of the early nineteenth century, we argue that these themes represent a defining feature of his realism. Part Two consists of an interlude of several readings to investigate the relevance of the national character as an interpretative lens for Stendhal’s writings. In particular, we propose a reinterpretation of *Mina de Vanghel* in light of Emile Durkheim's *Le Suicide*, highlighting the use of national characteristics as catalysts of action in Stendhalian fiction. This section emphasizes their strategic importance in character description and demonstrates their crucial and decisive role in plot development. Based on a biographical investigation of Stendhal's diplomatic archives at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we make a case to reassess the underappreciated influence of Stendhal's career as a civil servant and diplomat on his corpus and his realism. Part Three investigates the complexity of Stendhal's identity as a novelist-diplomat, challenging the traditional view of these roles as distinct, and arguing for their complementary nature. Through a detailed study of selected documents, reproduced in the Appendices, it underscores the stylistic relationship between his fictional and diplomatic writings. 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