Dostoevsky's acclaim! Summary and synopsis of the masterpiece "Jeanne" by French woman writer Georges Sand.
Jeanne" is a novel published in 1844 by the French woman writer Georges Sand.
I read "Jeanne" translated by Akiko Mochida from Fujiwara Shoten.
Before I get into the synopsis, I will quote the biography on the back cover as to who Georges Sand is as an author.
Born in Paris in 1804. Raised by his grandmother in Nohant in the countryside of central France.
Fujiwara Shoten, translated by Akiko Mochida, Jeanne.
In 1822, she married Casimir-François Doudouin.
In 1831, he went to Paris and began contributing to Le Figaro newspaper.
In 1832, he made his debut in the literary world with the publication of "Andiana" under the pen name of G. Sand.
In 1833, after a short relationship with Mérimée, a short relationship with Musset (~35); in 1836, a separation agreement with her husband was legally concluded. At this time, she communicated with Liszt, Countess Marie d'Agoux, Delacroix, and others.
In 1838, he and Chopin, accompanied by their two children, spend a winter in Majorca, where they live together until 1847 and have a rich creative period.
In 1841, he founded the journal Independent Review with P. Leroux and L. Viardot.
In 1843, he completed a major work, Consuelo.
In 1847, he began writing his autobiography, "The History of My Life," which traces back to his family's pre-history (serialization began in 1954).
After the outbreak of the February Revolution in 1848, he actively worked alongside members of the Provisional Revolutionary Government.
In 1849, "François the Abandoned Child" was a great success at the Odeon.
In 1850, his relationship with the sculptor Manceau began.
In 1852, he had an audience with Napoleon III for a pardon for political prisoners.
In 1864, "The Marquis de Villemer" was a great success at the Odéon. At this time, he had contact with Dumas Fyss, Flaubert, Turgenev, and others.
Died in 1876.
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Georges Sand was a female writer born in France in 1804, 17 years older than Dostoevsky.
As you can see from his biography, he is quite an activist.
At that time, the status of women was much lower than it is today, and it must have been extremely difficult for them to act as writers on their own. It must have been very difficult for women to act as writers on their own, as their status at the time was much lower than it is today.
Now, the synopsis of the work "Jeanne" presented here is as follows.
Jeanne, an innocent and beautiful shepherd girl, who has deeply held on to a single-minded devotion to the Virgin, a devotion that has been fused with the folk beliefs of the Gaulish period. Fadó the Fairy, the "Laundress of the Night," and the Golden Cow: a mysterious peasant novel interspersed with the legends of the Berry region.
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In a rural village, there was a beautiful and noble-hearted girl named Jeanne. Her impeccable character and beauty made it impossible for anyone not to fall in love with her.
The story revolves around her, the sons of the nobility who are in love with her, a frivolous lawyer who wants to kill her, and various thoughts of the people of the village.
In this work, Georges Sand's idealism is clearly expressed. The commentary at the end of the book reads as follows.
Sand preferred to include a "Preface" to his works, as well as a "Tentation de l'oeuvre" when a new edition of his works was published. In the "Preface" to his novel "The Itinerant Craftsman of France" (1840), in which the protagonist is a master craftsman, Sand clarified his own attitude, recalling a conversation he once had with Balzac.
......If the type I am drawing is too idealized, how can it not give me the right to do to the people what I would allow to be done to other classes of people? How can I not portray the most likeable, the most serious person possible, so that the brightest workers will have every desire to resemble that ideal type? Since when do novels necessarily depict the heartless and cruel reality of contemporary people and events? It is true that this may be the case. The great Balzac produced The Human Comedy. I have always admired his talent. Although I am bound in friendship to this great writer, I have seen the human condition from a very different point of view. I recall a conversation I had with him when I was working on "The French Itinerant Craftsman," in which he said, "You are writing a 'human comedy. You have written "The Comedy of Man. This title is too humble.drama, ,human tragedyYou could have said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. By the way, youA Human EpicYou wrote "- "That title is too lofty. But I'm notThe Pastoral of Man, ,Humanistic Poetry, ,novelto write. After all, you try to portray people as you see them, and you are able to do so! I, on my part, tried to portray them as I want them to be, as I believe they should be.
Fujiwara Shoten, translated by Akiko Mochida, Jeanne, p427-428
As this commentary shows, Georges Sand wrote his work with the attitude, "On my part, I tried to paint it as I wanted it to be, as I believed it should be.
This is why Georges Sand is considered an idealistic novelist. Here we can see the difference between him and authors such as Balzac and Zola, who depict people "as they are.
Relationship with Dostoevsky
When Georges Sand died in 1876, Dostoevsky was in the midst of his ownDiary of a Writer."I wrote an obituary for Georges Sand in
When I learned of Georges Sand's death in the newspaper (she passed away on May 27th of the Russian calendar - June 8th of the new calendar), the previous May issue of the "Diary" had already been typeset and was being printed. Therefore, I did not have time to say a word about his death. However, just reading the news of his death, I realized the significance of his name in my life - how much he had stolen from me in the past, how much he had given me in the past, how much he had given me in the past! I will unhesitatingly note each and every word of it.
Shinchosha, The Complete Works of Dostoevsky, 18: Diary of a Writer, translated by Kaori Kawabata, p. 11
As a young man, Dostoevsky was so passionate in his search for human ideals that he frequented idealistic socialist circles, especially before his Siberian exile in 1849.
It is said that Georges Sand was a strong influence during that period.
Georges Sand portrayed the noble ideal of humanity.
Jeanne, the protagonist of "Jeanne" introduced here, is indeed a virtuous woman herself.
Dostoevsky had this to say about the work
She suddenly brings the historical figure of Jeanne d'Arc back to life before our eyes as a modern peasant girl, clearly demonstrating that this magnificent and miraculous historical phenomenon can actually happen - a completely Georges Sand-like task. This is entirely Georges Sand's task, for perhaps no other poet of her time, with the exception of her, could have embraced the innocent girl's so pure ideal, an ideal that is both pure and powerful because of her innocence. (omitted).
Her proud purity is not, nor can it be, injured by contact with vice, even if she unexpectedly finds herself in the midst of a den of vice. The desire to sacrifice with dignity (which seems to be expected from her) inspires the young girl to take the first step toward her most dangerous destiny suddenly and unhesitatingly, selflessly, devotedly, and without the slightest hesitation or self-preservation. Nothing she sees or encounters confounds or frightens her in the slightest; on the contrary, her young heart, which has just discovered all of its power-the power of innocence, honesty, and purity-immediately gains courage and redoubles its vigor. and doubles her vigor.
And the resilient, fresh intellect, which has not yet known itself before, but which has not yet been tarnished by the compromises of life, is directed to new paths and new horizons. Therein lies the most perfect and seductive form of poetry - Georges Sand's own narrative poem.With a happy ending.In other words, he was particularly fond of tying the knot with the triumph of innocence, sincerity and youthful fearless naivete.
Shinchosha, The Complete Works of Dostoevsky 18: Diary of a Writer, translated by Kaori Kawabata, p. 18-19
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Dostoevsky's rave reviews of "Jeanne" cannot all be presented here, but they are very much in keeping with his feelings about this work.
A noble soul that does not succumb to evil. A proud and pure girl who bounces back even when surrounded by evil.
This ideal of the virtuous girl isCrime and Punishment."This may be reflected in Sonya in (although by then Dostoevsky was no longer a pure idealist).
Georges Sand's work is a good introduction to the idealism that Dostoevsky was once so passionate about.
The above is a summary of Georges Sand's "Jeanne" - a masterful novel about a virtuous girl! Even Dostoevsky praised it!" This is the end of the article.
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