“Une réalité d’ombre”. An approach to space in the fantastic tales of Erckmann-Chatrian

Abstract

Émile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian wrote very successful popular novels that chart life in Alsace, Lorraine and the regions on the banks of the Rhine. Nevertheless, the fantastic aspects of their production had not often been the object of critical analyses. This essay is a modest contribution to the study of the space in a set of fourteen fantastic tales by Erckmann-Chatrian published between 1850 and 1862. After explaining the distinctive traits in the authors’ conception of the fantastic genre, this paper deals first with the geographical environment of the plots and with the varied typologies of spaces, insisting on the transformation of quiet spaces into unfamiliar settings. Second, the paper focuses on the emotional contamination introduced by the narrator’s experiences in his perception of places. The last part of this essay studies space as a threat, and examines its potential for disruption in the apparently peaceful populations described in the tales