Chateaubriand's Atala: A Study of the French Revolution

If we examine Atala in its relation to Chateaubriand's more clearly historical studies of this period found in L'Essai sur les Révolutions, Les Mémoires d'Outre-tombe and Le Génie du Christianisme, we discover references to the Revolution from the prologue to the epilogue. These allusions shed llght on the novel's conflicting preoccupations with religion and passion as well as the protagonists' development and suggest that this lyrical treatment of love in the New World may in fact be a roman engagé that Chateaubriand hoped would appeal to the post-Revolutionary generation. (MAO)