Nerval: Transgression and the Amendment Riancey

The Amendement Riancey of 1851, prohibiting newspapers from printing romans-feuilletons by imposing fines upon the writer, enables Nerval to introduce the notion of transgression into accounts of his journalistic activities and to transform humorous, every-day events into signs of a spiritual dilemma. Whereas Nerval's portrait of censorship and privilège under the ancien régime is very positive, the Amendement Riancey, which reflects the writer's demotion to a mere productive and vulnerable member of the economy, is a frightening presence. However Nerval uses this law to reestablish the transgressive nature of the writer's condition and to elevate the writer, albeit now an economic being, once again to a brother of Cain. (SD)