The Great Cat Massacre: Deciphering Cultural Symbols
In Darnton’s second chapter, Workers Revolt: The Great Cat Massacre of The Rue Saint-Séverin, Darnton explores the bizarre ritualized cat massacre of the rue Saint-Séverin during the late 1730s. Examining the symbology behind the cat in French culture, as well as the historical context behind the massacre, Darnton weaves together a complex story that transcends far beyond the gruesome deaths of la grise, and the cats of the rue Saint-Séverin.
Drawing upon the autobiographical account of Nicholas Contant (a journeyman), Darnton describes the gruesome outbreak of the cat killing. Exhausted and humiliated by poor treatment from their master, Jerome (a fictionalized version of Contant), Léville
In Darnton’s second chapter, Workers Revolt: The Great Cat Massacre of The Rue Saint-Séverin, Darnton explores the bizarre ritualized cat massacre of the rue Saint-Séverin during the late 1730s. Examining the symbology behind the cat in French culture, as well as the historical context behind the massacre, Darnton weaves together a complex story that transcends far beyond the gruesome deaths of la grise, and the cats of the rue Saint-Séverin.
Drawing upon the autobiographical account of Nicholas Contant (a journeyman), Darnton describes the gruesome outbreak of the cat killing. Exhausted and humiliated by poor treatment from their master, Jerome (a fictionalized version of Contant), Léville