Marie, ou l'Esclavage aux Etats-Unis

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Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library > Yale Tocqueville Manuscripts (GEN MSS 982) > Series C.: THE WRITING OF THEIR BOOKS, ETC. > Marie, ou l'Esclavage aux Etats-Unis


16553992

Description

Title
Marie, ou l'Esclavage aux Etats-Unis
Creator
From the Collection: Tocqueville, Alexis de, 1805-1859
Published / Created
1832-1840
Description
Aside from one printed review of Beaumont's book, these documents comprise many miscellaneous notes and parts of a series of early drafts (from Mme de Larminat). The following analysis and comments may be of some guidance. Text (pub. in 2 vols.) Yale MSS. Tome Premier Avant Propos I. Prologue (1 page only) II. Les Femmes III. Ludovic, ou le Depart de Europe IV. Interieure d'une famille americaine V. Marie VI. L'Almshouse de Baltimore VII. Le Mystere (Much of these chapters represented in manuscript chapters "IV. L'Almshouse and V."Scene d'Amour." The manuscript opening and mise-en-scene is that of Marie, but there are materials also for Le Mystere, and apparently the great bulk of the Almshouse chapter. It is interesting to note that the names of the chief characters were originally different; Melina, Alphonse, Don Carlos. There seem to be also some extra pages of notes.) VIII. La Revelation This chapter was originally entitled V. ou VI. Le recit ou l'esclavage. Again the names are different. IX. L'Epreuve, 1. X. Suite de l'Epreuve, 2. XI. Suite de l'Epreuve, 3. Episode d'Oneida. XII. Suite de l'Epreuve, Litterature et Beaux-Arts Appendice. Note sur la condition sociale et politique des Negres esclaves... Tableaux Comparatifs... Notes: sur les femmes... sur les sentiments mutuels... sur les banqueroutes sur le Duel en Ameriques sur la Sociabilite des Americains sur l'Egalite Tome Second XIII. L'Emeute Beginning same; no other chapter mixed in; notes to page 15 rather complete. Perhaps two versions of this chapter present? XIV. Le Depart de l'Amerique civilisee. Entitled "XIII. Depart pour le Desert." Again perhaps two versions of text. Mass of notes, some evidently for preceding chapter. XV. La Foret Vierge et le Desert. Labelled chs. XIV. and XV. Apparently rather incomplete. Some pages and notes in second bundle. XVI. Le Drame Title "Drame." Two versions correspond. 50 pages plus earlier notes. XVII. Epilogue Some pages missing; much crossed out in manuscript; passages do not correspond. Includes note to Tocqueville saying he was trying to avoid duplicating Chateaubriand. Appendice Note sur le mouvement religieux aux Etats-Unis. Note sur l'etat ancien et la condition presente des tribus indiennes... Notes sur les evenements arrives a New-York, les 9, 10 et 11 juillet 1834. Miscellaneous page notes. There seem to be at least preliminary drafts, newspaper extracts, and notes of some sort for most if not all of these Appendix materials. Comments on these materials for Beaumont's Marie. Character Two rather bulky bundles, perhaps five or six inches thick, containing manuscript drafts of the text and notes for the writing of the first fictional tragedy to be published on the race issue or the melancholy fate of the blacks in the United States. These papers represent an early stage in the composition of Beaumont's pioneer book, and they represent that incompletely. If any more were found at Beaumont-la-Chartre or in the possession of Madame de Larminat we would by the terms of our understanding become the owners. As it is, these two bundles contain only the lesser parts of what the family must once have owned. So far as we can tell, the rest has been destroyed. Contents From the first volume, materials on 4 out of the 12 chapters. From the second volume, much fuller materials on all 5 chapters, plus extensive materials on the notes. It may be that the second package also covers some of the appendix notes of the first volume. The manuscript is in crude shape and considerable confusion. Without further study it is difficult to give an exact analysis. It does appear, however, that we have materials relating to somewhat more than half of the original 726 pages of printed text. Points of Interest Imperfect as is this manuscript it offers a number of interesting clues and suggestions. We learn from it, for example, that in the preliminary stages Beaumont's characters had different names, and that Beaumont deliberately tried to avoid echoing the great Romantic, Chateaubriand. These drafts also throw light on Beaumont's method of composition and on a different order of chapters from his first draft. Literary and Historical Significance I am increasingly impressed with the significance of Beaumont's Marie. Gustave de Beaumont was overshadowed by his diminutive but more brilliant friend, Alexis de Tocqueville, when he undertook himself to write a commentary on the United States, dealing with the social and racial character of the American people. For his own fame he had the further misfortune to cast his materials in novel form. Even so, his work attracted considerable attention in France. But it was never translated into English. We now find that Marie was apparently the very first novel ever to be published in the United States making the tragedy of the colored races, especially of the Mulatto or free Negros, its central theme. The first comparable book in this country was an anonymous work, later claimed by the historian Hildreth, which was got out in 1836, the year after Marie. The classic, Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, did not appear until 1852. We have here therefore an Uncle Tom's Cabin written 17 years too soon and never until 1959 translated into English. (Cf. Introduction by Alvis Tinnin in that translation, Stanford University Press) From a number of other points of view this book has genuine significance. Among the questions that it raises are the following: 1. Where did Beaumont get his idea and his attitude? I think it will be very interesting to explore the background of Beaumont's thinking in Chateaubriand, in the uprising of Toussaint L'Ouverture, and in such earlier Romantic classics as Paul et Virginie. It will be possible, I think, to show that the tragic black or mulatto first appears as an incidental character, on the margins of the story as the servant of the master, etc., and then from the wings slowly comes to center stage. 2. Where did Beaumont get the actual material for his own story? Here we already have in the Tocqueville collection and in my book extensive materials to explain the factual content, and the moving incidents which helped to give body and emotional content to the novel. Here are the story of the crazed Negro and the almshouse, the French exile of Lake Oneida, the Journey into the wilderness of Michigan, etc., etc., all from Beaumont's personal experience in America. (see Chapter 38 of my book.) As a further aid we have in the Tocqueville collection a microfilm of an M.A. Thesis written on Beaumont's Marie some years ago by a Kentucky student, who made us this present in return for the privilege of using the Tocqueville materials. (see D.V.) 3. The relation of Marie to French politics and Beaumont's career. In the 1830's a number of French writers appear to have attacked the slavery problem in less literary ways, and Beaumont later went on to become the champion of emancipation for the North Africans in the French colonies. In the Chamber, railroads and colonies were his specialties. In French life the emancipation question had a distinct place. A number of the above suggestions were explored by Alvis L. Tinnin in his Ph.D. Thesis for the French Department (which see). See also Tinnin's Introduction to the Barbara Chapman translation of Marie (Stanford University Press) and Fabian's Review (D.IV.o.). GWP (1955, 1964)
Provenance
For information about Yale's acquisition of the materials which make up the Yale Tocqueville Manuscripts, consult the curator.
Extent of Digitization
This object has been partially digitized.
Language
French

Item Location

Repository
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Call Number
GEN MSS 982
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Container / Volume
Box 30

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Rights
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Citation
Yale Tocqueville Manuscripts. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Identifiers

Orbis Record
4242433
Object ID (OID)
16553992

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