“Chateaubriand, intending to only write a memoir, has created the history of the 19th century – no more, no less” – said French writer and critic Jules Janin. I believe that it is impossible to say any better about the genius of Christianity’s great creation. His work has left a significant mark on the history of his homeland. Moreover he not only depicted the past but also left a few lines for the future he has seen. He begins this narrative from his childhood memories, which are highly detailed with descriptions of his lineage. It would be unfair not to mention the fact that the way he had been brought up influenced him greatly, especially his character and mindset. The so-called ‘disease of the century’ marked him with melancholy and skepticism, which is so peculiar to his entire literature legacy. Author has no illusions about kings’ glory and mightiness thus further he compares them with “those gentler chimeras whose story I continue” (Chateaubriand 1848, 67). It is a well-known fact that during his life he had personally met and was connected with the most outstanding figures of his time. Among them were major figures of France and the United States.Louis XVI – the first sovereign to young François-René. The author has been given a Lieutenant of the regiment of Navarre from him. Once being taken to the court he found a new to him society quite odd and even felt disdain towards it. Due to his own experience, Chateaubriand found monarchy unworthy of believing into. However, he sympathized with the king in his dislike to luxury and craving for hunting. The author, despite being almost forced to leave the country, still felt sorry for Louis XVI, who could not fully control the situation which had been turning rather badly for him (Ambrogio 2012, 149). In the end of his America journey, François-René hastened homeland after finding out that the king is about to be executed. On the other hand, we can observe a person of Chateaubriand great respect – George Washington. What is interesting about his personality is that in his endeavors he was proclaiming the same ideals as Napoleon did. Nevertheless, it was only American, who left the world with his ideas on the lips. On the contrary, we have the Emperor, who surrendered his admirable goals to the abyss of his reign-tainted mind (Ambrogio 2012, 14). In the prime of his life tainted with Napoleon’s presence, he seeks the ways to be useful to his homeland, whether it takes to serve a tyrant or to do everything by himself. Chateaubriand has ambiguous thoughts about him. On the one hand, this is a legendary person, “whose genius I admire”, but on the other hand, he is the one, “whose despotism I abhor” (Chateaubriand 1848, 13). A significant part of his life they were bounded and almost become rivals at the end of the emperor’s rule, despite respect they shared with each other. It is undeniable that at some point they had a conflict of interest, for the two were almost equal in their influence and genius. The author includes different episodes of Napoleon’s life in his work: junior lieutenant, Council and the Emperor. In addition, he was also one of the few people who noticed changes in the Emperor’s both appearance and personality: “his cheeks were hollow and livid, his eyes burning, his complexion pale and blotchy; his expression sombre and fierce Among princes he was of the people, and among the people, a prince” (677). Nevertheless, despite been hunted and hated by the Emperor, he still admires his merits to the country, mentioning it in his memoirs: “With one hand, he brings down sovereigns, with the other he slays the revolutionary giant; and yet in crushing anarchy, he smothers freedom and ends by losing his own on his final field of battle" (Clément, http://www.napoleon.org). At the end of Napoleon’s rule, opponent to him become Louis XVIII, “The exile without an army”, who “was still there, after all those battles which he himself had not waged” (Chateaubriand 1848, 700). The old man, who at the end of his power desperately tried to conquest Napoleon’s aggression. During the events of Hundred Days, Chateaubriand himself was at the king’s court. He was sharing moods of the people, who gave their faith to the king’s rebellion. “Long live the king! Long live Constitution!” - was the genius of Christianity hailing along with citizens of France. It can be seen in the manner of his writing that the further his story goes, the paler and more melancholic his thoughts become. He begins to remark the frailty of all living things. Only “beyond the tomb” he can see the truth about the world, objectively foresee its future, as it was with the Orleans dynasty, the head of which seized the throne by deception, but could not keep it, however. The whole memoir is a chronicle of all the court intrigues and relationships between its members. Chateaubriand presents each recollection with details mixed with his own attitude. He makes a reader to “live” his live, to share his emotions with the use of memories dear to him, retells of his discussions with members of the court as well as his family. His relationships with the Ives’ could be a good example – the lines of the end of Book X are no doubt full of pain and desperation. He had a chance to be a happily married man and end his life in prosperity, but he also knows his role in this “play”. Chateaubriand had to become a valuable figure on this chessboard of history, to overplay enemies of his people. He asks himself: “Is it certain that I have a true talent, and a talent worth the painful sacrifices of my life?”(Chateaubriand 1848, 289) Now, no doubt, we can say so. To draw the conclusion, on the pages of his “Memoirs”, using all experience he had, all memories, Chateaubriand tried to create an image of a man who lived through the times of drastic changes, who saw the very hystory from the inside and has been “making” it in his way. He tries to capture better world on pages, to be well-remembered by his compatriots as well as people all over the world. A great Man he was. He “was of an immense light” (Chateaubriand 1848, 1441).
Bibliography
Ambrogio A. Caiani. (2012). Louis XVI and the French Revolution, 1789–1792
Chadbourne, R. M., & Dahlie, H. (1978). The New land: Studies in a literary theme.
Waterloo, Ont.: Published for the Calgary Institute for the Humanities by Wilfrid Laurier University Press.
Chateaubriand, François-René, and Robert Baldick. Memoirs from beyond the Tomb. Print.
Chateaubriand and Napoleon. (Clément Jean-Paul) Retrieved March 13, 2016, from
http://www.napoleon.org/en/reading_room/articles/files/chateaubriand_napoleon_english2.asp
