Unraveling the Feminist Novel of the Belle Époque: Gabrielle Réval’s La bachelière (1910)

Experts on Belle Époque novels written by women regularly put Gabrielle Réval’s La bachelière in the feminist category, but there is ample reason to challenge that classification. Many novels of this type feature a fiercely independent, ambitious heroine intent upon making a name for herself in a profession long dominated by men. What drives the plot is the conflict between her desire to find fulfillment outside the home and her lover’s competing demand that she be satisfied with home (and him) alone, coupled with her own struggles to be successful in both spheres—that sometimes still elusive “worklife balance.” Other constants include opposition from men in the workplace and support from female mentors. Réval builds La bachelière from these ingredients, but ultimately turns the recipe for the Belle Époque feminist novel on its head.