Literary Portrayals of Belle Epoque Female Bonds

This book delves into the fictional representations of female homosociality within a selection of middlebrow novels authored by women and published in France between 1880 and 1914. Its primary objective is to incorporate women's literary contributions from the Belle Epoque era into the broader narratives of literary and cultural history, particularly in the context of friendship, and to deepen our comprehension of gender identities during the long nineteenth century.
The book juxtaposes novelistic depictions of female homosociality with the conventional models of female bonding found in didactic or orthodox literature of that period. Through this comparative approach, it illuminates the various innovations introduced by the texts under examination concerning this theme. Within the framework of the novel, where ideas about women's identities and their relationships could be explored and negotiated, Belle Epoque female authors grapple with the constraints and possibilities of female relationships in fiction. In doing so, they actively engage in contemporary discussions regarding modern and traditional womanhood.