Abstract

This study is the first to prove conclusively that the Contes were inspired by the literary Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns, and addressed to the members of the French Academy. Drawing upon historical documentation and close textual analysis, it traces the evolution of Perrault's conte moderne and the way in which it was received by his contemporaries. Earlier studies dealing with the Contes' stylistic qualities or the fairy tale genre have been heavily influenced by the Contes' time-honored status as a work of folklore and children's literature; this study, however, examines the work strictly from the perspective of their author and originally intended audience. It is the first to refute the notion that the Contes were written for children, and to prove that the tales' very popularity has distorted our understanding of the original text. The stylistic analysis also identifies Perrault as a gifted moralist, rivalling La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyere, and especially La Fontaine."