Within current scholarship, Claire de Duras (1777–1828) is best known for her novella

Ourika

(1823), which is considered to be the first narrative written from the perspective of a black woman. The innovative nature of this work, which was rediscovered in the 1970s as the fields of feminist and post-colonial studies were emerging, has attracted much scholarly attention. With her other finished fictional works,

Édouard

(1825) and

Olivier ou le Secret

(written 1821; published in 1971), Duras is acquiring increasing significance as a writer concerned with self-determination and otherness. The appearance of two unfinished emigration memoirs –

Mémoires de Sophie

and

Amélie et Pauline

– in 2011, alongside the rarely-commented upon

Pensées de Louis XIV

(1827) and

Réflexions et prières

3892 words

Citation: Allan, Stacie. "Claire de Duras". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 February 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12920, accessed 19 March 2024.]

12920 Claire de Duras 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.