Genre of Discours de réception: Marguerite Yourcenar’s Speech upon her Election to French Academy and Gender Turn

Abstract

This article analyzes the inaugural speech (discours de réception) delivered in 1981 by Marguerite Yourcenar, the first female writer elected as a member of the French Academy. Since the 17th century, such speeches have been mandatory for newly elected academicians, serving as a communicative product of academic speech practice. The study notes that commemorative speeches in honor of deceased members of the academy typically involve the use of praise as an evaluative strategy. Following the genre’s requirements, Marguerite Yourcenar addresses the conceptual space of “the value of literary heritage” of Roger Caillois, whose “academic chair” she was about to occupy as a new academician. In his work, she identifies authorial conceptual metaphors (such as “life is a game”: vie — jeu) that align with her own value system, confirming this alignment with examples from her own books or life experience. The article highlights authorial conceptual oppositions, including men — women (homes / femmes), friendship — hatred (amitié / haine), and life — death (vie / mort). As a newly elected academician, Marguerite Yourcenar perceives the French Academy as a scientific institution with both merits (Académie — science, littérature, connaissance) and shortcomings (Académie — préjugés, archaїsme), reflecting her personal position as well as her gender and social identity.