George Havens Lecture, The Stigma of Money in Rousseau and Hugo: Is there a Cure for le mal français?

Julia Douthwaite 
Professor of French and Francophone Literature at the University of Notre Dame

Since the industrial revolution swept through Europe in the 1800s, France has suffered the indignity of being considered backwards in things financial, as if a chronic mal français caused timidity and clannishness to undermine ambition. Inspired by the recent publication of the Routard guide to investing and its pro-American stance, and the many snide comments on French investors found in American financial writings, this lecture takes a comparative, humorous angle on the topic.