Narcissism and Selfhood in Medieval French Literature

Nicholas Ealy is Associate Professor of English and Modern Languages at the University of Hartford, USA. He specializes in the medieval cultures of France and Iberia and has published on the theme of narcissism in medieval literature, modern literature and film.

• Part I Narcissism and Selfhood in Context.- 1. Introduction: Narcissus and the Wounded Self.- 2. Narcissus and Selfhood: The Lay of Narcissus.- Part II Selfhood and the Open Wound.- 3. Narcissus and Mourning: Alain de Lille’s Plaint of Nature.- 4. Narcissus and Melancholy: René d’Anjou’s Book of the Love-Smitten Heart.- 5. Narcissus and Trauma: Chrétien de Troyes’s Story of the Grail.- 6. Narcissus and Testimony: Guillaume de Machaut’s Fountain of Love.- 7. Epilogue: Between Je me plaing and Iste ego sum.

“It is a pleasure to share my experience of reading Nicholas Ealy's rich, insightful, and highly readable critical work on the use of the Narcissus myth in selected medieval French narrative poems. … Narcissism and Selfhood in Medieval French Literature has laid the groundwork for the next needed installment on this topic: the ways in which medieval narratives depict women's sense of self.” (Linda Marie Rouillard, The MedievalReview, scholarworks.iu.edu, June 21, 2021)