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The Use of Abuse: The Polemics of the Dreyfus Affair and Its Aftermath book cover

1st Edition

The Use of Abuse The Polemics of the Dreyfus Affair and Its Aftermath

By Richard Griffiths Copyright 1992
    222 Pages
    by Routledge

    222 Pages
    by Routledge

    In this book, which closely examines the techniques used by the polemists of the Dreyfus Affair, much is learned not only about the Mair itself, but also about the polemic of the age in which it was situated, and the interaction between writers and their public. The discourse within which people's thoughts were imprisoned is seen not merely to have reflected events, but to have created them, in an increasingly vicious circle whereby the language of popular abuse, incorporated into the written polemic of the Press, produced simple but distorted ideas which in turn were fed back into the people. The age's complete lack of concern for the libel laws led to particularly vivid examples of the art. We are shown how authors' shifts in vocabulary, and in stylistic techniques, unconsciously signal to us fundamental changes in their aims; and how, in the give-and-take of battle, words and concepts subtly changed their meaning, with certain abstract notions such as Truth and Justice becoming completely devalued.

    Part I: Introductory, 1 Polemic and the Affair, The Issues behind the Polemic, Polemic and the Affair - A Chronology, 2 Truth and Justice, The Devaluation, The Philosophical Debate, Weapons of Attack, Cartoons and Visual Polemic, The Aftermath, Part II: Methods, 3 Plot Myths and Assertions of Certainty, Language and Imagery, Formulae of Certainty, A Further Aspect of the 'Plot' Myth: The 'Syndicat de Trahison', 4 Formulae of Popular Polemic, Metonymy, Dirt and Cleansing Repetition and 'Homeric' Epithets in Personal Abuse, Word Formulations: The Suffix '-ard' , Other Pejorative Formations and Phrases, 'L'Armee de Conde' and Other War-cries, 5 Techniques of Irony, Mockery of the Slogans of the Affair, Gohier and 'le parti de I'etranger' 'La Revanche', Rochefort and 'le sabre et le goupillon', 6 Religious Imagery: The Power of Catholic Discourse, 7 Attitudes to Personal Abuse, Violence and Vileness, A Libel: Zola the Thief's Son, A Libel: Drumont the Police Spy, A Libel: Clemenceau the British Agent Private and Public Attitudes: The Case of Barres, Part III: Three Individuals, 8 Zola, The Affair: The Three Figaro Articles, 'Lettre alajeunesse', 'Lettre ala France' , ']'accuse', The Aftermath, 9 Leon Bloy and the Cliches of the Affair, The Affair as Sign, Scatology and Eschatology, The Unknown Visitor, 10 Peguy's Attacks onJaures, The Natural Tone, and Complicity, The Attacks onjaures: 'L'Argent' and 'L'Argent, Litanies and Repetition with the Reader, The Attacks on Jaures: 'Notre jeunesse' (1910) suite' (1913)

    Biography

    Richard Griffiths

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