The function of gift exchange in Stendhal and Balzac
By: Doreen Thesen.
Series: The age of revolution and romanticism ;; vol. 28; Age of revolution and romanticism ;; v. 28.
Publisher: P. Lang Pub.
Published: 2000
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 264
Subjects: Stendhal, 1783-1842 -- Criticism and interpretation.; Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850 -- Criticism and interpretation.; Gifts in literature.
Description: "In this book, a selection of writings by Stendhal and Balzac is studied to see how gift exchange functions in these authors' representations of France in the early nineteenth century, a period during which money emerged as a universal social mediator. The gift is studied from two main perspectives: true gift as a means of establishing a positive relationship and gift as a facade masking and facilitating commercial transactions."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [235]-259) and index.