The Fate of Carmen

Exploring a range of competing representations, Gould asks whether Carmen is a dangerous femme fatale, a liberated woman, or, as Nietzsche saw her, a warrior in the vanguard of the battle between the sexes. The ongoing proliferation of new versions of Carmen presents an ideal opportunity to study both the cultural power and renewability of certain literary texts and the relationship between literature and the performing arts. Since its introduction in Prosper Merimee's 1845 novella, the Carmen character has been the subject of countless portrayals--from Bizet's 1874 opera, to various dramatic, dance, and musical renditions, to films by such directors as Peter Brook, Jean-Luc Godard, Francesco Rosi, and Carlos Saura. In The Fate of Carmen, Evlyn Gould studies competing representations of Carmen as either dangerous femme fatale, liberated woman, or vanguard warrior in the battle between the sexes.