Madeleine séductrice / Théodore séducteur: Rupture et Récon-ciliation dans Mademoiselle de Maupin

When treating the subject of androgyny in Théophile Gautier's Mademoiselle de Maupin (1836), most modern criticism has concentrated on the character of d'Albert instead of on Madeleine de Maupin, who traded her female identity for that of the cavalier Theodore de Sérannes. Madeleine's character develops the theme of the androgyne more profoundly than that of d'Albert since she ultimately reconciles herself to her innate bisexuality. This reconciliation creates a paradoxical reality in which sexual roles are totally reversed, leading to a complete rupture of the established social norms. Since this study focuses on Madeleine's androgyny rather than d'Albert's, its objective is to establish the distinction between the concept of a simple rupture in one's sexual identity (as in the case of d'Albert) and the more complex dialectical proces that allows for Madeleine's eventual reconciliation with this identity. (In French) (MM)