Lorsqu'un On vaut un Je: Emplois du pronom indéfini chez Mme de Sévigné

Abstract

Madame de Sévigné is known for the letters written to her daughter in Seventeenth Century France. Her Correspondence has become synonymous with a model of representation closely associated with French classicism. This article examines specific uses of the indefinite pronoun On in Sévigné's Correspondence, especially where it appears to replace or interact with the first-person pronoun Je. Given the familiar usage of On in contemporary French, such a study naturally raises the question of the relationship between the epistolary text and conversation which constitutes the model of interaction for many literary texts in Seventeenth Century France: to what extent may we attribute the use of the pronoun On to the letter's resemblance to spoken discourse? The primary goal of this study, however, is to consider the relationship between the two pronouns in an attempt to evaluate the relevance of modern theories of the subject. Various interpretations of the pronoun On are therefore considered: does it for instance merely reflect general truths or opinions universally held, or does it rather function as a synthesis of various experiences attributed to the first-person Je? In Sévigné's Correspondence we find evidence of a continuing meditation on the individual's relationship to others, as well as on the subjective perception of time.