Abstract
In anticipation of the 2023 centenary of Sarah Bernhardt’s death, this article considers the survival of the nineteenth century’s most famous woman in the writings of contemporary feminists. Today the pre-eminent ‘personality actress’ of her time is celebrated for personifying female self-promotion at the dawn of a new culture of spectacle. Yet she accomplished this by dying night after night in stage melodramas that have largely – unlike their star – failed to survive. Considering Freud’s own remarks on watching the star, as well as Elisabeth Bronfen’s pioneering work on the figure of the dead woman, this study examines Bernhardt’s stage and screen performances in La Dame aux camélias as a modernization of mortality.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
