‘Diaphaneitè’ Pater’s Enigmatic Term

This paper asserts that Pater’s essay title, ‘Diaphaneitè’, a modified version of the French word, enables one to trace the possible presence of Victor Hugo in Pater’s earliest essay. In the opening chapter of Les Misérables, Hugo describes the pure nature of a deeply religious elderly lady. The wom...

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Main Author: Morito Uemura
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée 2008-12-01
Series:Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/cve/7811
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author Morito Uemura
author_facet Morito Uemura
author_sort Morito Uemura
collection DOAJ
description This paper asserts that Pater’s essay title, ‘Diaphaneitè’, a modified version of the French word, enables one to trace the possible presence of Victor Hugo in Pater’s earliest essay. In the opening chapter of Les Misérables, Hugo describes the pure nature of a deeply religious elderly lady. The woman here seems to be no longer a physical being, but has become, in her old age, a transparence, so to speak, as everything in her expresses her angelic nature. Hugo’s phrase ‘cette diaphanéité’ is very similar to Pater’s essay title. It is interesting that Hugo again uses the idiosyncratic word ‘diaphanéité’ when pondering the diaphanous creatures in his Les Travailleurs de la mer. Hugo attributes the quality of ‘diaphanéité’ to the ‘méduse’ (jellyfish) in the limpid sea water. Hugo’s Gilliatt thinks that ‘since living transparencies inhabit the water, other transparencies, equally living, might also inhabit the air.’ A Paterian echo from this passage could be found in Florian’s thinking of the ‘home-returning ghosts.’
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series Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
spelling doaj-art-082200a76b4a45e09e51c5f4526ae3bc2025-01-30T10:22:30ZengPresses Universitaires de la MéditerranéeCahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens0220-56102271-61492008-12-016810.4000/cve.7811‘Diaphaneitè’ Pater’s Enigmatic TermMorito UemuraThis paper asserts that Pater’s essay title, ‘Diaphaneitè’, a modified version of the French word, enables one to trace the possible presence of Victor Hugo in Pater’s earliest essay. In the opening chapter of Les Misérables, Hugo describes the pure nature of a deeply religious elderly lady. The woman here seems to be no longer a physical being, but has become, in her old age, a transparence, so to speak, as everything in her expresses her angelic nature. Hugo’s phrase ‘cette diaphanéité’ is very similar to Pater’s essay title. It is interesting that Hugo again uses the idiosyncratic word ‘diaphanéité’ when pondering the diaphanous creatures in his Les Travailleurs de la mer. Hugo attributes the quality of ‘diaphanéité’ to the ‘méduse’ (jellyfish) in the limpid sea water. Hugo’s Gilliatt thinks that ‘since living transparencies inhabit the water, other transparencies, equally living, might also inhabit the air.’ A Paterian echo from this passage could be found in Florian’s thinking of the ‘home-returning ghosts.’https://journals.openedition.org/cve/7811
spellingShingle Morito Uemura
‘Diaphaneitè’ Pater’s Enigmatic Term
Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
title ‘Diaphaneitè’ Pater’s Enigmatic Term
title_full ‘Diaphaneitè’ Pater’s Enigmatic Term
title_fullStr ‘Diaphaneitè’ Pater’s Enigmatic Term
title_full_unstemmed ‘Diaphaneitè’ Pater’s Enigmatic Term
title_short ‘Diaphaneitè’ Pater’s Enigmatic Term
title_sort diaphaneite pater s enigmatic term
url https://journals.openedition.org/cve/7811
work_keys_str_mv AT moritouemura diaphaneitepatersenigmaticterm