Salome and the Dance of Writing: Portraits of Mimesis in Literature

239 Pages·1987·10.19 MB·English

by  Françoise Meltzer

~~ANDTHE
DANCE OF WRITING

Portraits ofMimesis in Literature
Fran~oiseMeltzer
The University of Chicago Press
Chicago and London
Franc;oise Meltzer is associate professor in the Department of Ro
manceLanguagesandLiteratureandtheCommitteeonComparative
Studies in Literature, University ofChicago. She is the translator of
Georges Poulet's Exploding Poetry: BaudelairelRimbaud.
The University ofChicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University ofChicago Press, Ltd., London
© 1987by The University ofChicago
All rights reserved. Published 1987
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
96 95 94 93 929190 89 88 87 54 32 1
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Meltzer, Franc;oise.
Salome and the dance ofwriting.
Includes index.
1. Mimesis in literature. 2. Portraits in literature.
I. Title.
PN47.M45 1987 809'·93355 86-24893
ISBN 0-226-51971-6
ISBN 0-226-51972-4 (pbk.)
For
Theodore Frederick Meltzer
1906- 1985
Omnis curae casusque levamen
On ne saurait done entrer dans un trop
grand detail quand on veut exposer des
sujets d'estampes, et qu'on est absolument
ignorant dans l'art.
-Rousseau, "Sujets d'estampes"
Contents
Acknowledgments IX
Introduction
1 Salome and the Dance ofWriting
13
2 The Spearpoint ofTroilus 47
3 The Golden Calfand the Golden Ass 73
4 Still Life
113
5
Sleight ofHand 159
Handling 159
A Manifesto 176
The Doubts ofLaocoon 189
Showing the Hand: Caricatures; or, It's
Done with Mirrors
201
Echoes 215
Index 219
Vll

Acknowledgments
This book owes so much to so many colleagues, friends, and
studentsthatonlyafewcanbementionedhere. Thefirstorder
ofthanks goes to Ralph Johnson, always afriend and generous
enough to remain my teacher. Without him, this book would
simply not exist. His gentle criticisms and patient encourage
ment were invaluable, and I remain forever in his debt. I am
also grateful to my husband, Bernard Rubin, and to my mother,
both ofwhom provided loving support and tolerance, as well
as intellectualcompanionship. Iamadditionallygratefultomy
crafty husband, withoutwhose remodeling ofthe house Iwould
not have been driven in despair to the typewriter. Barbara
Hanrahan was akind and level-headed friend, as was Nicholas
Rubinfier. The University of Chicago generously offered me
a leave ofabsence for an entire academic year to further this
project, and Karl J. Weintraub, the dean of the humanities
duringmyleave, wasdirectlyinstrumentalinaffordingmethat
time. The present dean, Stuart Tave, kindly arranged for re
search money, which was invaluable to this project. Rosemary
Camilleriwas myfirst assistant. Shecarefullyferreted outuse
ful material, and sent it regularly to me in France. She sug
gestedbibliographiesandcourseofferings, goadedmeonward,
IX