Paris and Myth: One Vision of Horror

Paris and Myth: One Vision ofHorror CATHERINE LAFARGEbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA In th e b e g in n in g o f th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry P aris b e c a m e in th e ey es o f th e w o rld a so u rc e o f g re a t in te re st a n d ev en o f fa sc in a­ tio n . T h is p h e n o m e n o n w as b ro u g h t a b o u t b y a c o n v e rg e n c e o f v a rio u s h isto ric a l, fin a n c ia l, in te lle c tu a l a n d a rtistic fo rc e s. P aris e x e rc ise d a p o w e rfu l a ttra c tio n o n n o n -P arisian s, b o th F re n c h a n d n o n -F re n c h , a n d in sp ire d m a n y ty p e s o f w ritin g s— le tte rs, d iaries, m e m o irs, n o v els a n d p a m p h le ts. O u t o f th e se w o rk s co m es th e re p re se n ta tio n o f a c ity n u rtu re d b y th e im a g in a tio n o f a u th o rs w h ic h b e a rs little re se m b la n c e to re a lity , fo r P aris b o th a ttra c te d a n d e sc a p e d th e se w rite rs. It is o p e n e d fo r e x p lo ra tio n a n d y e t re m a in s se c re tiv e a n d m y ste rio u s. It is an elu siv e a n d m u lti-fa c e te d w o rld o f c o n tra sts. F o r so m e it o ffe rs re tre a t, it is th e so u rc e o f life, th e g u a ra n te e o f fre e d o m , th e c e n te r o f th e u n iv erse, an id e a liz e d w o rld . F o r o th e rs it is a c a ld ro n o f v ice, a c ity to riv al S o d o m a n d G o m o rra h , a n ew B a b y lo n . A lth o u g h it is b e y o n d th e sco p e o f th is p a p e r to g o in to a fu ll d isc u ssio n o f th e se m a n y a sp e c ts o f P aris, I w o u ld lik e to g iv e a few e x a m p le s o f v a rie d v isio n s b e fo re lo o k in g a t o n e w o rk in d e ta il. B o th B e rn a rd in d e S a in t-P ie rre in th e Etudes de la Nature a n d L o u is-S e b a stie n M ercier in th e Tableau de Paris see th e c a p ita l as an a sy...