Écouter la voix des esclaves avec Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry et Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Listening to the voices of slaves with Médéric Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Moreau de Saint-Méry was in favour of a fully Creole society, and in his Description … of life on Saint-Domingue in the eighteenth century he reflects on the ties which are woven between individ...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Olivier-Serge Candau
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Université des Antilles
Series:Études Caribéennes
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/28169
_version_ 1797314650477428736
author Olivier-Serge Candau
author_facet Olivier-Serge Candau
author_sort Olivier-Serge Candau
collection DOAJ
description Listening to the voices of slaves with Médéric Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Moreau de Saint-Méry was in favour of a fully Creole society, and in his Description … of life on Saint-Domingue in the eighteenth century he reflects on the ties which are woven between individuals, united by their common history, and rapidly developing language practices. We are therefore proposing a re-reading of Moreau de Saint-Méry’s historical and cultural chronicle, which is at the intersection of a reflection on the articulation between society, parlance and languages. This is driven by the Essai sur l’origine des langues, notably in chapters 8–11 which are devoted to the distinction between the languages of the North and South. The thinking of Rousseau provides an operational framework, in both methodological et epistemological terms, for a better understanding of Moreau de Saint-Méry’s approach in recognising a developing Creole parlance emerging from a flourishing society. By dramatising the word and setting the stage for the behaviour of Creole slaves, Moreau de Saint-Méry transforms the simple house into a vast auditorium in which the use of language takes centre stage. In recognising black Creoles as actors in this new setting of Saint-Domingue, the author blurs the relationships between the colony and the slaves and renders the reader’s focus on race at least insufficient, if not ineffective.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T02:50:07Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7298705ed3c048df883523db8cf16943
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1779-0980
1961-859X
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-08T02:50:07Z
publisher Université des Antilles
record_format Article
series Études Caribéennes
spelling doaj.art-7298705ed3c048df883523db8cf169432024-02-13T13:13:30ZengUniversité des AntillesÉtudes Caribéennes1779-09801961-859X1010.4000/etudescaribeennes.28169Écouter la voix des esclaves avec Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry et Jean-Jacques RousseauOlivier-Serge CandauListening to the voices of slaves with Médéric Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Moreau de Saint-Méry was in favour of a fully Creole society, and in his Description … of life on Saint-Domingue in the eighteenth century he reflects on the ties which are woven between individuals, united by their common history, and rapidly developing language practices. We are therefore proposing a re-reading of Moreau de Saint-Méry’s historical and cultural chronicle, which is at the intersection of a reflection on the articulation between society, parlance and languages. This is driven by the Essai sur l’origine des langues, notably in chapters 8–11 which are devoted to the distinction between the languages of the North and South. The thinking of Rousseau provides an operational framework, in both methodological et epistemological terms, for a better understanding of Moreau de Saint-Méry’s approach in recognising a developing Creole parlance emerging from a flourishing society. By dramatising the word and setting the stage for the behaviour of Creole slaves, Moreau de Saint-Méry transforms the simple house into a vast auditorium in which the use of language takes centre stage. In recognising black Creoles as actors in this new setting of Saint-Domingue, the author blurs the relationships between the colony and the slaves and renders the reader’s focus on race at least insufficient, if not ineffective.https://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/28169societylanguageCreoleMoreau de Saint-MéryRousseau
spellingShingle Olivier-Serge Candau
Écouter la voix des esclaves avec Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry et Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Études Caribéennes
society
language
Creole
Moreau de Saint-Méry
Rousseau
title Écouter la voix des esclaves avec Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry et Jean-Jacques Rousseau
title_full Écouter la voix des esclaves avec Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry et Jean-Jacques Rousseau
title_fullStr Écouter la voix des esclaves avec Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry et Jean-Jacques Rousseau
title_full_unstemmed Écouter la voix des esclaves avec Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry et Jean-Jacques Rousseau
title_short Écouter la voix des esclaves avec Médéric-Louis-Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry et Jean-Jacques Rousseau
title_sort ecouter la voix des esclaves avec mederic louis elie moreau de saint mery et jean jacques rousseau
topic society
language
Creole
Moreau de Saint-Méry
Rousseau
url https://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/28169
work_keys_str_mv AT oliviersergecandau ecouterlavoixdesesclavesavecmedericlouiseliemoreaudesaintmeryetjeanjacquesrousseau