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Mademoiselle de Maupin

Cultural Reference - Literature Comprehensive Aktualizováno: 2025-11-23

Research Status: Comprehensive Last Updated: 2025-11-23 Diary Coverage: Book 14 (1880) Type: Cultural Reference - Literature

Overview

Mademoiselle de Maupin is a novel by Théophile Gautier, first published in 1835. It is one of the earliest French novels to explore cross-dressing and androgyny, and is considered a key text in the development of "art for art's sake" (l'art pour l'art).

Plot Summary

The novel tells the story of Madeleine de Maupin, a young woman who disguises herself as a man (Théodore) to discover what men are truly like before committing to marriage. She becomes the object of desire for both d'Albert (a young man) and Rosette (a young woman), creating a complex love triangle that explores themes of gender, desire, and identity.

The Famous Preface

The novel's preface is perhaps more famous than the novel itself. In it, Gautier attacks:

  • Utilitarian morality in art
  • Critics who judge literature by moral standards
  • The idea that art must serve a social or moral purpose

He argues passionately for aesthetic autonomy - that beauty is its own justification and art needs no moral or practical purpose. This preface became a manifesto for the Aesthetic Movement and influenced writers like Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire, and the Decadent movement.

Marie's Response (October 9, 1880)

Marie's reaction to the book is revealing:

1. First reading in Russia: She read it partially during her Russian trip and didn't like it 2. Second reading: She rereads it because "M. Gautier is recognized as an enormous talent and 'Mlle de Maupin' as a masterpiece, especially the preface" 3. Her verdict: - The preface is "very good, it's true" - But the book itself: "Despite all its nudities, the book is not amusing, certain pages are simply boring" - She acknowledges it's "in good French" and shows mastery of craft - But "it's not a sympathetic talent" - it's "antipathetic and bores me"

This shows Marie's independence of judgment - she's willing to go against established critical opinion and admit when a recognized masterpiece doesn't appeal to her personally.

Historical Context

The novel was considered scandalous for its frank treatment of sexuality and gender fluidity. The "nudities" (explicit sexual descriptions) that Marie mentions were what gave the book its notorious reputation.

By 1880, the book had become a cult classic among aesthetes and those interested in pushing boundaries of conventional morality, while remaining controversial in respectable society.

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