'Europe' in Renaissance France : the word, its uses and contexts (c.1540-1620)
This thesis offers a study of the word âEuropeâ in French Renaissance writing (c.1540- 1620). It uses the technique of close reading to analyse how the word was used in a variety of contexts and how it related to issues of significant cultural, social and political import, including the Reformation and the Wars of Religion, the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, and the discovery of the âNew Worldâ. In considering these contexts, the thesis moves beyond an analysis of the term Europe in order to examine instances where the word does not appear and to assess the significance of non-usage. The thesis contributes to the history of the idea of Europe in the sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries by illuminating how Europe was a flexible term that could be adopted by different writers for different purposes. In turn, the focus on Europe gives rise to new interpretations of French Renaissance texts. Chapter One compares the use of geographical discourse in Rabelaisâs 'Quart Livre' and Apianâs 'Cosmographie'. Chapter Two examines the representation of communities and their boundaries in Montaigneâs 'Journal de voyage' and the cosmographies of Thevet and Belleforest. Chapter Three considers the impact
Oddy, Niall Martin
'Europe' in Renaissance France : the word, its uses and contexts (c.1540-1620). This thesis offers a study of the word âEuropeâ in French Renaissance writing (c.1540- 1620). It uses the technique of close reading to analyse how the word was used in a variety of contexts and how it related to issues of significant cultural, social and political import, including the Reformation and the Wars of Religion, the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, and the discovery of the âNew Worldâ. In considering these contexts, the thesis moves beyond an analysis of the term Europe in order to examine instances where the word does not appear and to assess the significance of non-usage. The thesis contributes to the history of the idea of Europe in the sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries by illuminating how Europe was a flexible term that could be adopted by different writers for different purposes. In turn, the focus on Europe gives rise to new interpretations of French Renaissance texts. Chapter One compares the use of geographical discourse in Rabelaisâs 'Quart Livre' and Apianâs 'Cosmographie'. Chapter Two examines the representation of communities and their boundaries in Montaigneâs 'Journal de voyage' and the cosmographies of Thevet and Belleforest. Chapter Three considers the impact
europe renaissance france word_use context offer study word europe french renaissance writing technique close_reading analyse word_use variety context related_issue significant_cultural social_political import include reformation wars religion expansion ottoman_empire discovery new_world consider context move_beyond analysis term europe order_examine instance word appear assess_significance non usage contributes history_idea europe illuminate europe flexible term could adopt different writer different purpose turn focus europe give_rise new_interpretation french renaissance text compare use geographical discourse two_examines representation community boundaries journal voyage three_considers impact