Proust in Bavaria: Between noble genealogy and textual genetics

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that names play a foundational role in Proustian narratives. Characters’ personalities and histories are intricately woven through their names, which serve as pivotal elements in the unfolding of the tale. In the context of noble titles, names take on toponymic characteristics, not only tracing the protagonists’ personal histories but also the places they traverse within the narrative. By focusing on the occurrences of ‘Bavière’ in this paper, we aim to illustrate textual and avant-textual passages that reveal the evolution of the noble titles of characters. We explore this evolution through an endogenetic and exogenetic lens, examining both the author’s historical and contemporary references.