Min allrabästa och ömmaste vän! Kvinnors brevskrivning under svenskt 1700-tal
(2007)- Abstract
- This dissertation is a study of women's letter-writing in eighteenth-century Sweden. The letters are written by a number of women from the uppper classes (nobility and bourgeoisie) during the last two decades of the eighteenth century. The majority of the letters are written in Swedish, some however in French. The main aim is to examine the relationship between the idea of women as a special kind of letter-writers, and the writings of real women. The notion that women were different, and better, letter-writers than men originated in seventeenth-century France. Female letter-writers, such as the famous madame de Sévigné, were thought of as writing with ease, spontaneity and charm.
The first chapter contains a broad... (More) - This dissertation is a study of women's letter-writing in eighteenth-century Sweden. The letters are written by a number of women from the uppper classes (nobility and bourgeoisie) during the last two decades of the eighteenth century. The majority of the letters are written in Swedish, some however in French. The main aim is to examine the relationship between the idea of women as a special kind of letter-writers, and the writings of real women. The notion that women were different, and better, letter-writers than men originated in seventeenth-century France. Female letter-writers, such as the famous madame de Sévigné, were thought of as writing with ease, spontaneity and charm.
The first chapter contains a broad discussion of the letter genre from a theoretical and historical viewpoint. The famililar letter is perceived as a form of writing which reflects the writer, the receiver and the world around them (for example society, the letter genre itself and other types of texts). This corresponds to the idea of the letter as a replacement for conversation. Yet another theoretical discussion concerns the relationship between gender and genre.
Chapter two is a study of the letters of Hedvig Ulrika De la Gardie (1761-1832), married to Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt. She was a member of the court of Gustav III and wrote a number of letters to her husband in the years 1788-93. Her style is full of irony and wit and can sometimes be characterized as burlesque; in this she resembles the famous madame de Sévigné.
Julie Ekerman's letters to her former lover Carl Sparre are treated in the third chapter. Ekerman (1765-1800) was the daughter of the first female journalist in Sweden, Catharina Ahlgren, but became a courtesan. Her letters to Sparre can be interpreted as an attempt to come to terms with her new life as a mayor's wife in a small town.
Chapter four deals with the correspondence of the wife and daughters of the royal librarian Carl Christoffer Gjörwell: Brita Eleonora Müllern (1748-1822), Brite Louise Gjörwell (1768-1806) and Gustafva Gjörwell (1769-1840). Their letters express the ideals of the new bourgeoisie: friendship, family and sentiment. The pastoral poems of the time are also of importance.
All the female letter-writers studied in the dissertation follow the ideal for letter-writing, which originated in the French salons during the seventeenth century. This ideal meant that letter-writing should be seen as a form of conversation, and that women excelled in this type of writing. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Avhandlingen är en studie av kvinnors brevskrivning i Sverige under 1700-talet. Breven är skrivna av ett antal kvinnor från de högre samhällsskikten (adel och borgerskap) under 1780- och 1790-talen. Flertalet av breven är skrivna på svenska, men några också på franska. Huvudsyftet med avhandlingen är att undersöka relationen mellan idén om att kvinnor skrev annorlunda, och bättre, brev än män och faktiska kvinnors brevskrivande. Denna föreställning har sitt ursprung i 1600-talets Frankrike, där t. ex. den berömda madame de Sévigné ansågs skriva brev som kännetecknades av lätthet, spontanitet och charm.
Det första kapitlet innehåller en diskussion av brevgenren utifrån både en... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Avhandlingen är en studie av kvinnors brevskrivning i Sverige under 1700-talet. Breven är skrivna av ett antal kvinnor från de högre samhällsskikten (adel och borgerskap) under 1780- och 1790-talen. Flertalet av breven är skrivna på svenska, men några också på franska. Huvudsyftet med avhandlingen är att undersöka relationen mellan idén om att kvinnor skrev annorlunda, och bättre, brev än män och faktiska kvinnors brevskrivande. Denna föreställning har sitt ursprung i 1600-talets Frankrike, där t. ex. den berömda madame de Sévigné ansågs skriva brev som kännetecknades av lätthet, spontanitet och charm.
Det första kapitlet innehåller en diskussion av brevgenren utifrån både en teoretisk och historisk synvinkel. Det familjära brevet uppfattas som en form av skrivande som förhåller sig till skribenten, mottagaren och andra faktorer som t.ex. kulturella föreställningar, brevgenren själv och andra typer av texter. Detta har sin parallell i föreställningen om brevet som en ersättning för samtalet. Ytterligare en teoretisk diskussion rör förhållandet mellan genus och genre.
Kapitel två är en studie av Hedvig Ulrika De la Gardie (1761-1832), gift med Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt. Hon tillhörde Gustav III:s hov och skrev ett antal brev till sin man under åren 1788-93. Hennes brevstil kännetecknas av ironi och humor, ibland på gränsen till det burleska. Denna stil kan jämföras med madame de Sévignés.
Julie Ekermans brev till den forne älskaren Carl Sparre behandlas i det tredje kapitlet. Ekerman (1765-1800) var dotter till Catharina Ahlgren, den första kvinnliga journalisten i Sverige, men kom att välja kurtisanens väg. Breven till Sparre kan tolkas som ett försök att komma tillrätta med det nya livet som borgmästarfru i landsorten.
Kapitel fyra studerar korrespondensen inom familjen Gjörwell, i synnerhet dess kvinnliga medlemmar: Brita Eleonora Müllern (1748-1822), hustru till kungl. bibliotekarien Carl Christoffer Gjörwell, och döttrarna Brite Louise (1768-1806) och Gustafva (1769-1840). De gjörwellska breven uttrycker de nya litterära idealen förknippade med borgerligheten: vänskapen, familjen och sentimentaliteten. Samtidens idylldiktning har också fungerat som inspirationskälla.
Alla de kvinnliga brevskrivare som studeras i avhandlingen följer det ideal för brevskrivande som utvecklades i de franska salongerna under 1600-talet. Detta ideal innebar att brevskrivning modellerades efter konversationskonsten och att kvinnor ansågs vara överlägsna när det gällde denna typ av skrivande. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/27089
- author
- Löwendahl, Marie LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- docent Björkman, Margareta, Mälardalens högskola
- organization
- alternative title
- My Dearest and most Tender Friend! Women's Letter-writing in Eighteenth-century Sweden
- publishing date
- 2007
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Scandinavian languages and literature, Allmän och jämförande litteraturvetenskap, General and comparative literature, the eighteenth century, women's letter-writing, the familiar letter, Nordiska språk (språk och litteratur)
- pages
- 368 pages
- publisher
- Makadam förlag
- defense location
- Hörsalen, Språk-och litteraturcentrum, Helgonbacken 12, Lund
- defense date
- 2007-05-19 10:15:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-7061-037-0
- project
- Women´s letters
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4767f929-bdbe-4a4b-b3a0-2254dbea4344 (old id 27089)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 12:14:16
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 21:09:48
@phdthesis{4767f929-bdbe-4a4b-b3a0-2254dbea4344,
abstract = {{This dissertation is a study of women's letter-writing in eighteenth-century Sweden. The letters are written by a number of women from the uppper classes (nobility and bourgeoisie) during the last two decades of the eighteenth century. The majority of the letters are written in Swedish, some however in French. The main aim is to examine the relationship between the idea of women as a special kind of letter-writers, and the writings of real women. The notion that women were different, and better, letter-writers than men originated in seventeenth-century France. Female letter-writers, such as the famous madame de Sévigné, were thought of as writing with ease, spontaneity and charm.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The first chapter contains a broad discussion of the letter genre from a theoretical and historical viewpoint. The famililar letter is perceived as a form of writing which reflects the writer, the receiver and the world around them (for example society, the letter genre itself and other types of texts). This corresponds to the idea of the letter as a replacement for conversation. Yet another theoretical discussion concerns the relationship between gender and genre.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Chapter two is a study of the letters of Hedvig Ulrika De la Gardie (1761-1832), married to Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt. She was a member of the court of Gustav III and wrote a number of letters to her husband in the years 1788-93. Her style is full of irony and wit and can sometimes be characterized as burlesque; in this she resembles the famous madame de Sévigné.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Julie Ekerman's letters to her former lover Carl Sparre are treated in the third chapter. Ekerman (1765-1800) was the daughter of the first female journalist in Sweden, Catharina Ahlgren, but became a courtesan. Her letters to Sparre can be interpreted as an attempt to come to terms with her new life as a mayor's wife in a small town.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Chapter four deals with the correspondence of the wife and daughters of the royal librarian Carl Christoffer Gjörwell: Brita Eleonora Müllern (1748-1822), Brite Louise Gjörwell (1768-1806) and Gustafva Gjörwell (1769-1840). Their letters express the ideals of the new bourgeoisie: friendship, family and sentiment. The pastoral poems of the time are also of importance.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
All the female letter-writers studied in the dissertation follow the ideal for letter-writing, which originated in the French salons during the seventeenth century. This ideal meant that letter-writing should be seen as a form of conversation, and that women excelled in this type of writing.}},
author = {{Löwendahl, Marie}},
isbn = {{978-91-7061-037-0}},
keywords = {{Scandinavian languages and literature; Allmän och jämförande litteraturvetenskap; General and comparative literature; the eighteenth century; women's letter-writing; the familiar letter; Nordiska språk (språk och litteratur)}},
language = {{swe}},
publisher = {{Makadam förlag}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Min allrabästa och ömmaste vän! Kvinnors brevskrivning under svenskt 1700-tal}},
year = {{2007}},
}