Femme-caissière and maîtresse de la maison: Max O’Rell and the Image of the Frenchwoman in the Fin-de-Siècle Cross-Cultural Debate

Abstract

Max O’Rell is now forgotten, but in his time, he was an immensely popular author and lecturer, who propagated stereotyped images of French women in an unprecedented manner. French by birth and education, O’Rell had moved to England but had his greatest success in the United States. He was an active participant and mediator in the transnational debate over manners and morals in Britain, France and the United States. This article examines his representations of gender for three important groups of images: the girl, the wife and the fallen woman. By tracing their roots and analysing reactions to O’Rell’s ideas, the study reveals the density and reciprocity of intercultural exchange in the late nineteenth century. O’Rell’s popularity demonstrates the strength and tenacity with which conservative ideas and behaviour resisted modern trends.