Gender and Theology in Marguerite de Navarre's Heptaméron : A Reading of Novella 65

Abstract

This article examines the question of masculinity in the Heptaméron in the context of Marguerite de Navarre's evangelical faith. In particular, it analyzes Novella 65, which is recounted by Géburon, the oldest male storyteller or devisant in the Heptaméron . Géburon's age and declining physical condition have to some extent forced him off both the military and sexual battlefield. But this tired soldier is not merely interested in telling war stories. No longer able to perform his masculinity as in the past, Géburon turns to a new, more satisfying performance through the narrative act—that of keeping and protecting God's word. Novella 65 thus demonstrates efficiently how Marguerite de Navarre's narrative innovations are intricately connected to her religious beliefs.