The Immoralist (Historical Context)

Historical Context

France: the Third Republic

The Immoralist takes place in France, Europe, and North Africa during the 1890s. Michel's family estate is located in Normandy, a province in northern France. While teaching as a professor, he lives with his wife in Paris. The French government at this time was in the era of the Third Republic, which began in 1871, adopting the Constitution of the Third Republic in 1875. France's colonial holdings increased during the era of the Third Republic, and by 1900 France was the second greatest colonial power in the world, after Great Britain. The Third Republic was dissolved with the invasion of France by Germany during World War II, and French colonial holdings were greatly reduced during the post – World War II era.

North Africa

Many of the important events in The Immoralist take place during Michel and Marceline's travels in the region of North Africa. North Africa encompasses the modern nations of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Libya. This region is also sometimes referred to as the Maghrib, which in Arabic means "West." The Atlas Mountains in the north, the Sahara desert in the South, and coastal regions along the Mediterranean Sea characterize the terrain of North Africa. The inhabitants of North Africa are primarily Arabic Muslims, who were subjugated and dominated by French and other European colonial powers beginning in the 19th century. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, France invaded, conquered, and colonized much of North Africa. France conquered Algeria in 1830. Tunisia came under French control between 1881 and 1883. France did not conquer Morocco until 1912. Libya, which had been within the domain of the Ottoman Turks since 1835, was invaded and occupied by Italy in 1931. Thus, the events of The Immoralist are set in the French controlled areas of Algeria and Tunisia. Biskra, the city in which Michel befriends a number of Arab boys and makes important discoveries about his own nature, is located in northeastern Algeria.

The political and national conditions of North Africa have changed greatly since the 1890s. In the post – World War II era, French colonial control gave way to national sovereignty. Libya, which had come under Italian and then British control, was granted national independence in 1951. Tunisia and Morocco were granted sovereignty by the French government in 1956. France at this point hoped to maintain control of Algeria. However, Algerians wishing to attain the same national independence granted to their neighbors had begun a rebellion against French rule in 1954. Finally, in 1962, after eight years of civil war, France admitted defeat and granted national sovereignty to Algiers.

Tuberculosis

During the course of The Immoralist, both Michel and his wife Marceline suffer from tuberculosis. While Michel recovers from the disease, Marceline, who becomes infected while nursing him, eventually dies from it. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that reached epidemic proportions during the nineteenth century. Tuberculosis affects the lungs, making breathing difficult. One of the most dramatic symptoms of tuberculosis is the coughing up of blood, which Michel in The Immoralist describes in graphic detail. During the nineteenth century, there was no known cure for tuberculosis, and lengthy bed-rest or staying in temperate climates was often recommended. The bacteria which causes tuberculosis, bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was identified in 1882 by the German physician Robert Koch. Beginning in the 1940s, antibacterial drugs that can effectively treat and cure tuberculosis first came into use. However, tuberculosis continues to be a widespread disease today, killing some three million people per year, many of them in developing or third world countries where sanitation and medical care are inadequate.

Compare & Contrast

• 1890s: The French government is in the era of the Third Republic, under the Constitution of 1875. France is a parliamentary democracy with a president and prime minister. Voting privileges are extended to all adult men.

  Today: The French government is in the era of the Fifth Republic, under the Constitution of 1956. France remains a parliamentary democracy with a president and prime minister. Voting privileges are extended to all adult men and women.

• 1890s: The region of North Africa includes colonial territories of several European nations. Algiers and Tunisia are French colonies, while Libya and Morocco are colonial holdings of the Ottoman Turkish empire.

  Today: The former colonies of the North African region include the four sovereign nations of The Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria (Algeria), the Republic of Tunisia (Tunisia), the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Libya), and the Kingdom of Morocco (Morocco). All of these nations are members of the League of Arab States, a multi-nation alliance of Middle Eastern countries sharing economic, political, and cultural interests.

• 1890s: France is a major colonial power, second in size only to Britain.

  Today: In the post-colonial era, most former French colonial holdings have been granted national sovereignty. France is a member of the European Union, a multination alliance sharing many social, economic, and political interests.