French Children's Literature: Author-- Countess de Ségur (1799-1871)

Countess de Ségurn
Figure 1.--This is an illustration from the Countess de Ségur's "Les Malheurs de Sophie". I'm not sure who the illustrator was or in what edition the illistration first appeared.

The Countess de Ségur is viewed by many as the greatest authors of children's stories in the French language. Her father was the Russian Count Rostopchine. He had burned Moscow when it was seized by Napoleon's Grand Army in 1812. He at first wanted to burn Paris, but instead lived there for nearly 10 years. His daughter married the Comte de Ségur. [Mansel] She wrote many books between 1821 to 1871. Her novels had as protagonists young well educated and elegant young girls. She called them " petites filles modèles ". Her books were especially popular with girls. I'm unsure about boy characters in her books.

Biography

The Countess de Ségur is viewed by many as the greatest authors of children's stories in the French language. Her father was the Russian Count Rostopchine. He had burned Moscow when it was seized by Napoleon's Grand Army in 1812. He at first wanted to burn Paris, but instead lived there for nearly 10 years. His daughter married the Comte de Ségur. [Mansel]

Books

De Ségur wrote many books between 1821 to 1871. Her novels had as protagonists young well educated and elegant young girls. She called them " petites filles modèles ". Her books were especially popular with girls. We have no details on specific books and plot lines at this time. I'm unsure about boy characters in her books. Parents bought these books for their girls because of the moral values that were stressed.

Titles

Amoung her prolific work: Les malheurs de Sophie, Les bons enfants, Jean qui grogne, Jean qui rit, Les vaçances, La soeur de Gribouille, Mémoires d'un âne, Les caprices de Gizelle, ect. All are a story about the liitle girl life in the sociaty , familly, with their relatives, friends, ect. Always de Ségurs stressed how nice littlre girls must be well dressed and behaved.

Boys

There are boys characters in De Ségur's books, but not specialy in matters of clothing. They are often involved in accounts of school.

Garçcon and Filles Modèles

De Ségur's books were so widely read that they helped set the standard foe well behaved children, especially girls, in the 19th century. Her term " petites filles modèles " entered the French language to described a well behaved and mannered little girl. Some mothers also used it to describe their sons as " petites garçcpnes modèles ". After World war I French attitudes toward bringing up children changed. Children wre expected to have excellent manners and were often very carefully dresses. The style petites filles modèles corresponded to the desire of the mothers ; quickly it was also applied for the boys.

Sources

Mansel, Philip. Paris Between Empires: Monarchy and Revolution, 1814-1852 (St. Martin's, 2003), 559p.







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Created: February 8, 2004
Last updated: 2:41 PM 6/4/2009