Mademoiselle de Beaumont is a man: The folklorization of the Chevalier d'Eon in French-language historical novels

Abstract

Academic historians have traditionally regarded historical fiction as of little value to serious research. However, the popularity of historical fiction as a genre demonstrates that it is a meaningful way to engage with history. This thesis explores how the Chevalier d'Éon (1728-1810) has been portrayed in historical fiction, concentrating on four French and one Japanese novel published in French between 1986 and 2011. Through the application of trans-world identity theory and identifying the factors necessary for a historical figure to be recognisable in historical fiction, this thesis analyzes how the close association of d'Éon with gender transgression makes them easily recognizable across different texts and narrative scenarios. The understanding of gender plays a role in the cultural memory of the Chevalier d'Éon, and is core to how d'Éon has gone from a minor historical person to a folklorized symbol concerning gender. Keywords: Chevalier d'Éon, historical fiction, trans-world identity theory, French-language novels, gender, queer studies, folklore, history