Literary expressions of Creole identity in Alfred Mercier's L'Habitation Saint-Ybars and Johnelle

This dissertation examines nineteenth-century Louisianan author Alfred Mercier’s novels and their roles as emblems of Francophone Creole cultural identity. During the nineteenth century following the Louisiana Purchase and subsequent anglophone influx, the French-speaking Creole population faced a cultural upheaval. Unable to completely identify as either French or American, Creoles occupied an uncertain space. This study demonstrates that Alfred Mercier’s works articulate a hybrid identity that is neither French nor American but rather a multicultural construct. The first chapter examines the nineteenth-century Creole community’s problematic positioning between French and American cultures. Chapters two, three, and four center on two of Mercier’s texts and concentrate on his depictions of race, gender, and language, respectively, while incorporating a historical perspective and establishing a literary context using works by more well-known French and francophone authors. This analysis shows that Mercier’s representations take into account the multiplicity of cultures established in Creole society, contesting the perception that Creole identity can be defined singularly.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

French and Francophone Language and Literature

Grantor

French Studies

Year dc:date.available

2012

Author dc:creator

• Cashell, Mary Florence

• Alfred Mercier
• Creole
• Louisiana
• identity
• race
• gender
• language

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Identifier

etd-04192012-162611
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1320

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.lsu.edu:gradschool_dissertations-2319