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Article: 'I am not he': Narcissus and ironic performativity in medieval French literature.
- Article from:
- The Modern Language Review
- Article date:
- October 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Modern Humanities Research Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ABSTRACT
Scholars have discussed extensively the medieval French use of Narcissus and mirrors to figure love experience. However, the claim to be like Narcissus is often closely associated with a counter-claim to be unlike him. Focusing on Benoit de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie, Bernart de Ventadorn's 'Can vei la lauzeta mover', and Guillaume de Lorris's Roman de la rose, the article argues that this counter-claim is caught up in a larger process of affirmation. For a loving subject really to become like Narcissus requires both the establishment and the negation of such an identification. Examining this dual movement entails a reconceptualization of Narcissus.
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