Académie Française Acceptance Speech: between the past and the future

Académie Française has been a guardian of tradition and a symbol of continuity of the French literaturę and culture for nearly four hundred years. The speeches provide a link between the past and the future at least by the obligation of a new member, elected to replace one that passed away, to give a eulogy presenting glory and praising works of his/her predecessor. Based on several speeches, the paper discusses, in the first place, evolution of reflections on literature and predecessors’ works and, in the second place, provides an example of breaking with tradition: election of the first woman to Académie Française and justification of this radical change. The speeches constitute a bulwark of tradition, since their form and the way predecessors are presented do not change but constitute a reflection of change.

Académie Française has been a guardian of tradition and a symbol of continuity of the French literaturę and culture for nearly four hundred years. The speeches provide a link between the past and the future at least by the obligation of a new member, elected to replace one that passed away, to give a eulogy presenting glory and praising works of his/her predecessor. Based on several speeches, the paper discusses, in the first place, evolution of reflections on literature and predecessors’ works and, in the second place, provides an example of breaking with tradition: election of the first woman to Académie Française and justification of this radical change. The speeches constitute a bulwark of tradition, since their form and the way predecessors are presented do not change but constitute a reflection of change.