André Gide was born on 22 November 1869 in Paris, the only son of Paul Gide, a professor of Law at the Sorbonne, and Juliette Rondeaux. His early life was influenced by the rigid education imposed on him by his family, and by the strong and contradictory relationship with his mother, a bond which became stronger when his father died in 1880. Henceforth the profoundly religious and strictly Calvinist attitude of Gide’s mother came to dominate his education, and strongly affected the evolution of his personality. Most of his schooling was conducted privately in the family’s house in Normandy, since Gide’s frequent illnesses and nervous problems often prevented him from attending lessons at the “École Alsacienne”, where he had been enrolled at the age of eight. Gide’s…

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Citation: Prudente, Teresa. "André Gide". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 July 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1734, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1734 André Gide 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.

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