Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

French dramatist and poet. M. Heger read to Charlotte and Emily Delavigne’s “Death of Joan of Arc,” and perhaps his “Life of Joan of Arc.” According to Gaskell this was the inspiration behind Charlotte’s devoir “ La Mort de Moïse ,” though Sue Lonoff (BE) suggests some more relevant inspirations, such as de Vigny’s poem “Moïse.” If he read them the “Death” early enough, it could have been a source for Charlotte’s “Sacrifice d’une Veuve Indienne,” though the circumstances of the burning women are very different. The tone of both Delavigne’s poems is hotly French-nationalistic, and it may have amused Heger to read and discuss them with his hotly English-nationalistic pupils. ... log in or subscribe to read full text