À la recherche de l'authenticité. La lettre et son destin littéraire

Abstract

The letter plays an interesting role in the history of literature, especially in the history of French literature, contributing in a way to its authenticity. Its usual universal communication role gives to the letter an interesting status in the French literary text emphasizing the sense of reality and credibility. The writers used letters in different ways especially in their novels. We can find in French literature quotations of letters, letters included entirely and even novels made by letters, etc. By reading letters or fragments of letters, or even mails, which are included in a literal text, the public is let believe that there is something true, authentic in that text, something that approaches him to the authenticity of the written text. In our paper we tried to trace a part of the letter's destiny in French literature, since Middle Ages till nowadays.