Enveloppes du féminin chez quelques romanciers fin-de-siècle

This study examines fin-de-siècle novels and short stories that revolve around the decadent delight in female remains, of which only the outer shell or envelope remains. After discussing the temptation to reify and confine women in a closed space, prompted by the obsession for possession in Villiers de l’Isle-Adam’s L’Ève future, this article presents a collection of texts (by Rachilde, Richepin, Lorrain, Maizeroy, Dubut de Laforest) which feature the effigies of dead mistresses of whom only the shell remains, whether in the form of dolls made from wax, skin or even nothingness, conjuring up fantasies of hypothetical lust.