Jean de Léry's Brazil (1578): The Birth of the Ethnological Gaze in Early Modern France

Undergraduate

How can we hear the voice of others, make them heard? Is the “indigenous” the object of discourse or can it be the subject of enunciation? This course focuses on the French construction and conceptualization of the country named “Brasil” in the early 16th century. Our itinerary will begin with Jean de Léry who, at the age of 22, embarked for Brazil, where he spent almost a year among the Tupinambás. 20 years after his return to France, in 1578, he published an account of this experience of otherness, anchored in his body and senses, while seeking to bring to life in the book the community that welcomed him. A bestseller throughout Europe, the book became a classic of modern anthropology. When Claude Lévi-Strauss visited Brazil, he was haunted by nostalgic memories of Léry: “the societies we can study today are no more than debilitated bodies and mutilated forms”. We examine the genesis of modern ethnology and anthropology, and their relationship to “literature”. Through topics such as cannibalism, sensuality, gendered gazes, animality, and the construction of the “good savage,” we will reflect on the intersecting issues of identity and alterity, past and present, near and far. Readings from Thévet, Montaigne, Diderot, Bougainville, Rousseau, and De Certeau will guide us. All discussions, assignments, and readings in French. French language skills (spoken and written) sufficient to read texts and participate in discussions, even though the aim of the course is also to enable participants to improve their communication skills. HU Th 9:25am-11:20am