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May sixteen, 2017 Erik Graff rated it liked it

Recommends it for: gender/family studies fans

Recommended to Erik by: no one

This is a study of the use of familial archetypes and of their transformations in the menstruum 1789 until the ascent of Napoleon in French republic. Although the author is an historian, the book refers primarily to the theories of sociologists and, every bit the title suggests, psychoanalysts. Much reference is made to the arts of revolutionary France, literary, theatrical and visual. Most interesting to me was the chapter on Sade and the concluding remarks on gender politics.

A fascinating analysis of the French Revolution that examines the French people using the sociological construct of the family. Hunt speculates that the killing of Louis XVI left a vacuum in the family that had to exist replaced by the new Assembly. The entire book provides substantial evidence for Hunt's theory and explores how the nation saw itself at the fourth dimension and how information technology sought to construct itself. The book is well structured and every chapter relates to her theory. Unlike some history books I ha A fascinating analysis of the French Revolution that examines the French people using the sociological construct of the family unit. Hunt speculates that the killing of Louis Sixteen left a vacuum in the family that had to be replaced by the new Assembly. The entire volume provides substantial prove for Hunt'due south theory and explores how the nation saw itself at the time and how it sought to construct itself. The book is well structured and every chapter relates to her theory. Unlike some history books I have read, this i doesn't get bogged down in pointless detail. The details are fascinating because they connect to a theory that the author is positing. My merely minor complaint is that the book makes its point and then perhaps belabors information technology a piddling too long. Still, I read this book very quickly and enjoyed the emphasis on sociological framing. ...more

A clever psychological account of the French Revolution. Hunt argues that the monarchy was tied to family lodge in the 18th-century French collective unconscious. The king represented the national "father"; the people were his children.

As the century wore on, anxiety about the function of the king in French political life arose simultaneously with concern over paternal tyranny in literal families. At first, this led to the the male parent/king's being depicted in French fine art and literature as a "good fat

A clever psychological account of the French Revolution. Hunt argues that the monarchy was tied to family order in the 18th-century French collective unconscious. The rex represented the national "father"; the people were his children.

As the century wore on, anxiety nigh the role of the male monarch in French political life arose simultaneously with concern over paternal tyranny in literal families. At showtime, this led to the the father/rex's being depicted in French art and literature as a "good father" whose rightful potency rested on persuasion, benevolence, and consent rather than absolute correct. In the 1780s, however, even the good father came under threat. In novels, for example, children, including orphans, often took center stage. And in politics, the revolutionary "children" decided in 1792 to impale the male parent/king and collectively have his place.

The death of the father/king, notwithstanding, left difficult questions unanswered. First, would one of the brothers (or a written constitution) take the father'south place at the head of the family unit, or would the brothers observe some style to alive as strict equals? They chose equality, but as information technology turned out, this required the elimination of dissent; from this was born the Terror. (Somewhen, Napoleon settled the matter for a while past ending the French experiment in fraternal dominion and reestablishing paternalism.) Second, what role would the mother and the sisters have in the new national family unit? Here, the revolutionary brothers displayed remarkable fear of any sort of public function for women. They killed the queen for existence a bad woman -- that is, taking for on a public role and being allegedly a corrupter of men. For similar reasons, they ruthlessly confined their sisters to the private domestic sphere, trying to preclude the feminization that they feared would undermine the fraternal social club.

After the Terror, withal, the French consciously and unconsciously rehabilitated the epitome of the "good family" as an environment in which the individual could find protection and stability without being bailiwick to tyranny.

Hunt supports her deceptively simple thesis brilliantly, grounding her argument in a careful analysis of 18th-century cultural production and political discourse. Of course, she cannot change the fact that the commonage unconscious does non nowadays itself for a direct examination. Her account is thus coherent, plausible ... and impossible to falsify. I observe this historiographically problematic. Nevertheless, the volume is fascinating. Furthermore, Chase has constructed a valuable window into the Jacobins' attitudes toward women.

...more than

Nov 03, 2013 Paulm rated it liked it

I did non actually like this one. Absolutely as well many leaps....even for a theoretical work. The chapter on Sade is so incoherent I am non sure she even knows what she is talking near. That being said, she stays on chore up to that bespeak. If you similar theoretical, metaphorical history with not then random 18th century porn throughout.....and then here you lot go.

Feb xi, 2021 阿近 rated it it was astonishing

　　「家庭羅曼史」是佛洛伊德指稱神經官能患者幻想希望逃離自己鄙視的親生父母，而由某些具有較高社會地位的人取代，作為對原生家庭的復仇；而Lynn Hunt將「家庭羅曼史」由個人心理層次上升到集體無意識，以此為主旨構成法國大革命政治理念的家庭秩序想像。Lynn Hunt在《法國大革命時期的家庭羅曼史（The Family unit Romance of the French Revolution）》裡運用各種小說、繪畫、版畫、報章雜誌等等文化藝術產物，以家庭成員定位的變化試圖分析法國民眾潛意識對於王權隕落後，社會秩序重組與公共資源的重新分配的渴求與焦慮。對專制暴虐王權的不滿促使革命的產生，拉下了王族，繼而建立起對個人自由的信仰，但對家與國的疑慮同樣伴隨而來。

　　故事從路易十六命喪斷頭台那一刻拉開序幕，前法王之死象徵著破舊除新的儀式，但民眾高興的同時也潛藏著不安與恐懼，昔日家國合一、君主亦父的政治秩序關係讓眾人無法免除「弒父」的惶恐，我想這也是因為他們破壞了長久存續的政治制度，不確定接下來該往何處去，只能在焦慮中試圖想像與建立「無父」與其權威不再的新社會秩序，探討新的關係可以航行至哪裡，這亦激發新的社

　　「家庭羅曼史」是佛洛伊德指稱神經官能患者幻想希望逃離自己鄙視的親生父母，而由某些具有較高社會地位的人取代，作為對原生家庭的復仇；而Lynn Hunt將「家庭羅曼史」由個人心理層次上升到集體無意識，以此為主旨構成法國大革命政治理念的家庭秩序想像。Lynn Hunt在《法國大革命時期的家庭羅曼史（The Family Romance of the French Revolution）》裡運用各種小說、繪畫、版畫、報章雜誌等等文化藝術產物，以家庭成員定位的變化試圖分析法國民眾潛意識對於王權隕落後，社會秩序重組與公共資源的重新分配的渴求與焦慮。對專制暴虐王權的不滿促使革命的產生，拉下了王族，繼而建立起對個人自由的信仰，但對家與國的疑慮同樣伴隨而來。

　　故事從路易十六命喪斷頭台那一刻拉開序幕，前法王之死象徵著破舊除新的儀式，但民眾高興的同時也潛藏著不安與恐懼，昔日家國合一、君主亦父的政治秩序關係讓眾人無法免除「弒父」的惶恐，我想這也是因為他們破壞了長久存續的政治制度，不確定接下來該往何處去，只能在焦慮中試圖想像與建立「無父」與其權威不再的新社會秩序，探討新的關係可以航行至哪裡，這亦激發新的社會能量。作者依次檢視了當時人們對每個家庭成員的價值辯證，剖析他們在政治上的集體無意識。當這樣的想像在藝術創作中傳達出新的價值觀與信仰，隨著時間流逝，不斷的對這樣的假定進行設想，逐漸積累成足以搖撼舊制度與舊觀念的力量，因為原本以為到死都只能走的這一條路已開拓出其他的各種可能，相信有更多路可走的期待凝聚成強烈的社會氛圍，成為擊垮王權體制的力量。

　　父親消失後，出現了許多藝術創作，設想父親／君王不在的家／國將會有何變化，「兄弟愛」是他們首先出現的想像，不限於血緣羈絆的兄弟，亦包含同樣從事革命活動的兄弟，兄友弟恭、互不爭奪昔日如君父地位般至高無上的個人崇拜是其願景，共享昔日被父親獨霸的資源，但實際上兄弟之間仍然會互相爭奪與競逐，秩序重組造就新的禁忌，亦因此產生新的焦慮，而父親除了在文本中「不在」、「消失」，或者立場轉為薄弱以外，也從暴虐專制轉為溫和、相對尊重家人的形象，而無論是「父子」或「兄弟」，即使犧牲親職的私領域，仍然能在革命的公共領域中共享情誼。

　　在這一段中，作者闡述「法式共和」、「美式共和」的不同。法國共和是從內而外的破壞、再創造，他們深受王權體制與活人神話所苦，所以極力避免個人崇拜的再現，故而選擇在這個基礎上尋求互相聯結又能和平共處的方式；而美國出於對以「父親」自居的英國的不信任，極力掙脫殖民體制的束縛，於是宣示自己是「自由之子」，繼而是「開國之父」，讓美國的政治意象成為確實的形體讓人尊崇其存在與價值。

　　女人在討論中多數仍是被排擠的，儘管在私領域已被認可同樣擁有繼承權益，但仍然被排除在公共事務之外。值得一提的是，當革命政府決定新立起一個政治形象時，為了避免偶像崇拜而重蹈昔日君父神話的覆轍，選用虛構的女子作為政治理念宣傳的形象，而原因竟是法國歷代女性皆無王位繼承權，這一措施可以避免君父聯想，這讓我有點難過。

　　然而，即使是虛構的存在，女性族群依舊在革命活動期間逐次滲透入公共空間，成為男性潛在的威脅，讓他們感到不安。當時雖然政治議題上已有許多面向，卻沒有太多針對女性地位的討論，女性仍是次於男性的性別。作者探討這段觀念變革的過程讓我覺得昔日的女性真的就是被當成一種資源，與財富、貨物、權力是同等的概念，在男性的想像中是理所當然的由他們獨佔，即使革命促使秩序重組，他們仍然無法擺脫以往對女人的定位，所以才會覺得男性可以決定女人的價值、應該做什麼事情又能做些什麼事情，並沒有將女人當作獨立人格來對待，父權並沒有隨著「父親」消失，只是轉化成另一種排擠女人生活空間的形式，無論是公共空間或私人空間。

　　在以「瑪麗．安東尼特」為中心的性與女體象徵論述中，也包含一眾哲學家、作家、政治家的厭女傾向。為了讓踏入公共空間的女人們返回私人領域，革命政府／男性又在此時搬出為人妻、為人母的貞靜美德，並且宣揚家庭價值的必要，在生物學上導出「男女有別」，女性能生育，屬於自然的，只能從事直性的勞務，且樣樣都不如男性，因此推演出她們不能像男性一樣負責知識性工作的結論，指稱女性在政治上同樣擁有付出的能力，但屬於她們的場域是家庭，是私人領域，而公共領域是男性專屬，告訴女人妳們該怎麼做，才會是「好妻子」、「好母親」。女人只有在身為人妻、人母的定位中能獲得認可，但此時研討的離婚法又對女性極為不公。作者針對女性的探討讓我想起前陣子看過的話：「女人就是一塊磚，哪裡需要就往哪裡搬。」

　　在這樣的秩序定位下，薩德在《香閨哲學》中將這樣對女人的處置推演成極致的想像，反倒在這樣的想像中，看見其中的荒謬與不合理，加上對自由主義的信仰與對女人的預設定位互相抵觸，迫得眾人不得不繼續去思考女性議題。「孩童文學」則從最初的孤兒認祖歸宗的收場（有歡喜有悲劇）演變成孤兒憑藉一己之力打下自己的一片天，前者通過高貴血緣的認證重新確立自己於社會上的立足點，後者則必須超脫於父母之上，而父權在其中的作用不是消失就是幾乎沒有，孩童建立屬於自己的世界與社會地位，方可克服沒有血親／社會立足點的缺憾。

　　《法國大革命時期的家庭羅曼史》是一本豐富有趣的歷史研究，援引十八世紀的藝術創作進行政治無意識的解釋看得很過癮，但對目前的我也有不太好讀懂的部分，可能也有誤讀的部分，日後再讀也許會更明白作者想傳達的意涵。在這本書中，我體會到二百多年前的人與現在的我們的許多共通點，包括對女性與非主流族群或隱或顯的歧視、對舊制度破滅與重塑新秩序的期待和焦灼、對未知將來的惶惶不安，當時的有些理想鄉想像如今看來相當荒謬而不可理喻，但也有些狀況仍是現在進行式的真實，例如針對女性再婚的法律限制。這些認知讓我感覺自己跟十八世紀的人們距離並沒有太遙遠，也能從當時人們對政治社會議題的探討回過頭來看待現在自己所處的世界，整體來說，稱得上是一本讓我很有收獲的歷史書籍。

☆、台灣人，閱讀版本為台灣的麥田出版社的繁體中文版。

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Feb 19, 2019 8314 rated it it was amazing

This rating is biased. It would have been a 3-star but since it touches on the ii subjects I dear most — psychoanalysis and history — I'1000 giving information technology 5 nevertheless.

Mona Ozouf with her Festivals and the French Revolution really did a better task in analyzing, and understanding those big-shots in the reference listing. Chase's depth reads like expository in comparison but her reference list certainly doesn't read like a friendly expository. So it's kind of awkward in terms of the targeted audience: t

This rating is biased. It would take been a 3-star but since it touches on the ii subjects I love near — psychoanalysis and history — I'm giving it five nevertheless.

Mona Ozouf with her Festivals and the French Revolution actually did a better job in analyzing, and understanding those big-shots in the reference list. Hunt's depth reads like expository in comparison but her reference listing certainly doesn't read like a friendly expository. So it's kind of awkward in terms of the targeted audience: those who could keep upwardly probably have seen improve, those who couldn't … well, just can't proceed up.

...more

Sep 16, 2019 Jerra Runnels rated it really liked it

Interesting take on how the French Revolution changed gender roles. Chase uses psychoanalysis and cultural works equally examples of theories. Marie Antoinette is discussed at length, besides as Sade's pornographic novel from
1795 Philosophy of the Bedroom. Freud is discussed throughout as well as novels and art showing the portrayal of family roles both expert and bad. I read this book for a graduate level seminar class on women and mod European history. Not having a potent background in the French R Interesting have on how the French Revolution inverse gender roles. Hunt uses psychoanalysis and cultural works every bit examples of theories. Marie Antoinette is discussed at length, likewise as Sade's pornographic novel from
1795 Philosophy of the Bedchamber. Freud is discussed throughout too as novels and art showing the portrayal of family roles both expert and bad. I read this book for a graduate level seminar class on women and modernistic European history. Not having a potent background in the French Revolution, this book piqued my involvement, and I will exist reading more on gender and women during that time period. ...more than

Mar 15, 2020 Katrinka rated it it was amazing

I feel as if I accept to justify this enthusiastic rating. With the admission that I'm no scholar of the era, I'll just become ahead and say the book was incredibly interesting, informative, and accessible. Thoroughly enjoyed information technology, if one can "savour" learning well-nigh all the ways in which liberté and égalité but practical to half the population. I feel as if I have to justify this enthusiastic rating. With the admission that I'm no scholar of the era, I'll merely go ahead and say the book was incredibly interesting, informative, and accessible. Thoroughly enjoyed it, if ane can "bask" learning about all the ways in which liberté and égalité only applied to half the population. ...more

Apr nineteen, 2019 Tarah Luke rated it really liked it

This was interesting, and I enjoyed her argument, which I idea was very unique- essentially, the Revolution upends the thought of the king as male parent of his people, but becomes stuck trying to figure out how to replace him, leading eventually to a new "male parent" in Bonaparte.

Nov thirty, 2021 Madelyn rated it liked it

3.5
Actually such an interesting read that explores the mode in which monarchical politics mimic traditional (patriarchal) families.

Mar 02, 2014 Ali Olomi rated it it was astonishing

Lynn Hunt'south book is a perfect example of the cultural history that was i the ascension during the 80'south and 90's. In this book, she analyzes the French Revolution through the lens of civilization with special attention to the production of literature, art, and its depictions and ideas around the role of kingship.

She explores what tin can be chosen a collective cultural consciousness that shifts in its way of viewing the male monarch. She links the political soapbox nigh the king with the cultural soapbox on th

Lynn Hunt's book is a perfect example of the cultural history that was ane the ascent during the 80'south and 90'south. In this book, she analyzes the French Revolution through the lens of culture with special attention to the production of literature, fine art, and its depictions and ideas around the part of kingship.

She explores what tin be called a collective cultural consciousness that shifts in its way of viewing the male monarch. She links the political discourse almost the king with the cultural soapbox on the role of the father and family. She examines how in literature, art, and political soapbox the king was portrayed as the father and the nation as family or as children and how this discourse and view shifted over time from portraying him as the "skilful" male parent to the "tyrannical" father.

The book is heavily focused on a theoretical framing of the French Revolution and deeply continued to psychoanalysis. She does a bright job theorizing on the the cultural pulse behind the French Revolution and demonstrates some of the groovy things that came from the cultural plough using literary and cultural methods of assay particularly applying the theories of representation and delineation.

Fifty-fifty if ane is not a French historian, her methods can be adopted in other fields of history and the book proves to exist useful and interesting for anyone interested in cultural history and gender.

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January 09, 2018 Lindz rated it really liked information technology

To tap into the political unconscious and collective imagination of French lodge during the French Revolution, Hunt daringly arouses Freud'southward theory of the family unit romance in her volume, The Family Romance of the French Revolution. Using Freud's theory equally a base and implementing her own interpretation of the family romance, Hunt exhibits through novels, legislation, pornography etc. how French lodge related their current political power construction to that of the structure of the family. For exa To tap into the political unconscious and collective imagination of French society during the French Revolution, Hunt daringly arouses Freud'southward theory of the family romance in her book, The Family Romance of the French Revolution. Using Freud'southward theory as a base of operations and implementing her own interpretation of the family romance, Chase exhibits through novels, legislation, pornography etc. how French society related their electric current political power structure to that of the structure of the family unit. For example, she sees the Monarchy for the French, every bit a traditional patriarchal framework that revolutionaries tried to transform. Their new social club or "family" was to be one where a fraternity of brothers were at the helm and promoted the subordination and domestication of women, making their existence one that stays in the private sphere, thus leaving the public sphere to be one of only men. Merging gender history, cultural history and political history together, her thesis and examples of Revolutionary France'south "family romances" is seductive and mesmerizing just does contain flaws that taint the book'south overall effectiveness and importance. ...more

This book is an absolute delight, and I tin can't recommend it highly plenty. Reading nigh the French Revolution-- or any revolution-- will be hugely impacted. The symbolism and psychology of revolutions, and how a lodge deals with something then tumultuous, how that changes a civilization, all of that is covered in depth in this book. While information technology has a very purposefully narrow and specific scope, the wider implications are easily seen and applied. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in the French Revo This book is an accented delight, and I can't recommend information technology highly enough. Reading nearly the French Revolution-- or any revolution-- will be hugely impacted. The symbolism and psychology of revolutions, and how a society deals with something so tumultuous, how that changes a civilization, all of that is covered in depth in this book. While information technology has a very purposefully narrow and specific scope, the wider implications are easily seen and practical. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in the French Revolution, or any revolution. ...more

Sep 27, 2015 Hannah Givens rated it really liked it

Fascinating written report of how literature, fine art, and commentary during the French Revolution reveal attitudes toward the family at that fourth dimension. You lot can only practice and so much with psychoanalyzing history, and information technology's difficult to make stiff causal links, but the descriptive parts were illuminating. I also appreciated the gender history, where Chase doesn't just describe particular women, simply really addresses the whole gender system of the fourth dimension period and how the historical actors perceived it. Fascinating study of how literature, art, and commentary during the French Revolution reveal attitudes toward the family unit at that fourth dimension. You lot can merely do so much with psychoanalyzing history, and it'southward hard to brand strong causal links, but the descriptive parts were illuminating. I also appreciated the gender history, where Chase doesn't just describe particular women, simply actually addresses the whole gender arrangement of the time menstruation and how the historical actors perceived information technology. ...more

Oct 18, 2009 Lisa rated information technology information technology was ok

Interesting points of how family structure can be practical to a political realm and how the if the family is broken, society is broken, but overall, information technology seems she stretches Frued's idea and it merely seemed a little much. Interesting points of how family construction can be applied to a political realm and how the if the family unit is cleaved, lodge is broken, but overall, information technology seems she stretches Frued's idea and information technology only seemed a little much. ...more than

Aug 28, 2014 Kaiti rated information technology liked it

The outset four chapters were pretty interesting. The last 2 chapters didn't hold my interest at all, and didn't seem really relevant to the commencement role of the book. I also don't totally buy the writer's main argument, but a decent case was made for it in the commencement four capacity. The first 4 capacity were pretty interesting. The concluding two chapters didn't hold my interest at all, and didn't seem really relevant to the outset role of the book. I besides don't totally buy the author's principal argument, but a decent case was fabricated for it in the commencement four capacity. ...more

Mar 23, 2008 Beth rated it really liked information technology

this book changed my whole view on the french revolution and french feminism, exploding it out into some other universe of consciousness.

Jan 28, 2008 Erin rated information technology it was astonishing

Best addition to French Revolution historiography since the 60s.

Lynn Avery Hunt is the Eugen Weber Professor of Modern European History at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her area of expertise is the French Revolution, but she is also well known for her piece of work in European cultural history on such topics as gender. Her 2007 piece of work, Inventing Man Rights, has been heralded as the most comprehensive analysis of the history of human being rights. She served as p Lynn Avery Hunt is the Eugen Weber Professor of Modern European History at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her area of expertise is the French Revolution, but she is also well known for her work in European cultural history on such topics as gender. Her 2007 work, Inventing Human Rights, has been heralded as the nearly comprehensive analysis of the history of human rights. She served as president of the American Historical Association in 2002. ...more

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