Zigzags, revirements et circonvolutions: les voyages excentriques et exotiques de Théophile Gautier

Théophile Gautier traveled a lot, and far. His travels, especially in the East, have often been studied from the angle of exoticism, travelogue or even art. But it is the motivation and the terms of the itinerary that will be the subject of this article. Indeed, such a craze for travel is surprising on the part of a writer who, originally, liked to proclaim the charms of motionless travel and make fun of the fashion of what was not yet called “tourism.” What is the origin of the given impulse? Looking closely at the line it draws from the point of departure to the point of arrival, we see that the journey according to Gautier is constantly being deconstructed. The broken line, the zigzag and all the figures of the detour seem to correspond, in space, to the figure of the paradox which governs the work of the writer. (In French)