The function of the Parisian ‘societal code’ in Marcel Proust’s In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower

Abstract

   The article explores the norm-setting function of the image of Paris in Marcel Proust’s novel In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower. Throughout the novel, individualized characters undergo artistic generalization related to the covert impact of Parisian ‘societal space’ where select traditions only gain influence. A. Ruban explores the principal norm-setting paradigms in the novel. She argues that the Parisian ‘societal code’ is fluid. Its changes typically result in improvement, provided that honourable people remain faithful to the code. Shifts in the values code are essential for understanding the character of time. The narrator never strays from its aesthetic ideal; in his conception, beauty equals true valour. The article discusses categories significant for Proust’s novel: preoccupation with etiquette, theatricality, the playfield of influence, ideals of social classes, and the ‘spiritual core’ of space and time.