Nerval and Dumas in Germany

The basis of the collaboration between Gérard de Nerval and Dumas père was their collaboration as playwrights. The events that led to their joining forces are briefly summarized. The assassination of a German political figure suggested itself as a logical theme for a play. A trip to Germany became a necessity for purposes of gathering source material and, at the same time, became the basis for works describing their travels. The differences in their descriptions lead to a comparative study of the way the two men saw and reacted to the same people and places. Dumas reproduced his impressions in a popular journalistic style that relied heavily on the melodramatic and unquestioning acceptance of popular myths. Nerval tends rather to give a sober realistic account that often debunks popular notions. (AJDuB)