Margaret Fuller

Sarah Margaret Fuller (23 mai 1810-19 juin 1850) est une journaliste, une critique et une activiste féministe américaine.

En 1846, elle était envoyée par le New York Times à l’Europe comme journaliste. Elle est allée en Angleterre, L’Italie et La France, et ses écrits sur la nature de la culture et l’analyse des gens sur le point de se révolter sont très puissants.

Elle s’intéressait par les habitues des français typiques :

“The hospitality of _le grande nation_ to the stranger is, in many respects, admirable. Galleries, libraries, cabinets of coins, museums, are opened in the most liberal manner to the stranger, warmed, lighted, ay, and guarded, for him almost all days in the week; treasures of the past are at his service; but when anything is happening in the present, the French run quicker, glide in more adroitly, and get possession of the ground. I find it not the most easy matter to get to places even where there is nothing going on, there is so much tiresome fuss of getting _billets_ from one and another to be gone through; but when something is happening it is still worse.”

“…the French ladies surpass all others in the art of dress; indeed, it gave me much, pleasure to see them. Certainly there are many ugly ones, but they are so well dressed, and have such an air of graceful vivacity, that the general effect was that of a flower-garden. As often happens, several American women were among the most distinguished for positive beauty; one from Philadelphia, who is by many persons considered the prettiest ornament of the dress circle at the Italian Opera, was especially marked by the attention of the king. However, these ladies, even if here a long time, do not attain the air and manner of French women; the magnetic atmosphere that envelops them is less brilliant and exhilarating in its attractions.”

“…there was one excellent speaker, adroit and rapid as only a Frenchman could be. With admirable readiness, skill, and rhetorical polish, he examined the arguments of all the others, and built upon their failures a triumph for himself. His management of the language, too, was masterly, and French is the best of languages for such a purpose,--clear, flexible, full of sparkling points and quick, picturesque turns, with a subtile blandness that makes the dart tickle while it wounds. Truly he pleased the fancy, filled the ear, and carried us pleasantly along over the smooth, swift waters”

Ce que j’ai trouve en lissant ces paragraphes et quelques idées qu’on voit encore dans ces jours—
comment on se comprend.  Les américains, je pense, trouvent les français d’avoir e « je ne sais quoi »,
ca veux dire, ils sont a la mode, tout plein de grâce et élégance, même au point d’être snob.  Peut-être c’est
vrai—on a déjà parle du système éducatif française, et leur connaissance du monde—mais, est ce que ca
signifie une « snobberie » ?  Je trouve que la tête du cowboy, dont on a discute en classe, s’agit d’un besoin
survirer, comme les « founding fathers ».  Parce que, après tout, la fierté américaine vient d’une association avec
notre histoire, qui est tout à fait nouvelle !