Sur le statut d'homme de lettres au XVIIe siècle. La correspondance de Jean Chapelain (1595-1674)

摘要

The Status of the Literary Figure in the XVIIth Century. The Correspondence of Jean Chapelain 1595-1674. Using Jean Chapelain as case in point and based upon study of his correspon dence this article poses the question of the social identity of the man of letters in the XVIIth century. At time in the "prehistory" of the literary field characterized by the weak degree of autonomy of the position and the instability of the very category of literature we have observed and taken as whole the ensemble of actions practices and world views revealed by the different communication situations which appear in the correspondence. It is not surprising to discover the important role played by the relationship to power and to politics in the career of Chapelain. The task remained to describe the complex modalities of such relations in terms of an exchange as well as in terms of the manner in which they articulate the history and the success of career and of particular literary choices. This can be observed both in the letters written to de Balzac where an ensemble of judgements with regard to literary figures and the outline of an imaginary world of literary success can be distinguished as well as in the letters addressed to the children of former patron. The position of man of letters allows for degree of profitable manoeuvring within the social world being seen as if from high tower because that postion is devoid of any real status in society where social status classifies men and limits their movements. However, it is in this very absence of status that we can begin to distinguish the outlines of status to come.