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The Lady Commemorated: The Dame de Fayel's Secret Gift in Jakemés's Châtelain de Coucy
- Parergon
- Australian and New Zealand Association of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (Inc.)
- Volume 38, Number 1, 2021
- pp. 1-19
- 10.1353/pgn.2021.0001
- Article
- Additional Information
Abstract:
This article examines Jakemés's Roman du Châtelain de Coucy et de la Dame de Fayel through Derrida's discussion of true gifts in his essay 'Donner la mort' to read the titular lady as the producer of the romance's songs. It first identifies the châtelain's heart as a true gift, a distinction that reveals the lady's autonomy. It then considers the secrecy of Derridean gifts to posit the heart as the lady's, given secretly to the châtelain at the romance's beginning. By reading retrospectively, we see how the châtelain's songs come from her heart rather than his, making her a producer of song.