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In literary and music studies, "autoexoticism" has generally been seen as a self-harming practice, denoting the subjugated culture's passive acceptance and perpetuation of hegemonic exotic constructions from the dominant culture. By revisiting the "ex-centric", "ex-centrist", and "de-centralizing" value of Tristan Corbière's Les Amours jaunes (1873), the aim of this article is to nuance the understanding of "autoexoticism" and show that it might also be seen as an active, creative, and somewhat empowering re-appropriation by the so-called dominated culture. Building on recent debates in Postcolonial and World Literature studies, this essay attempts to move beyond the borders and logic of the Nation state (Paris vs Province) so as to reconsider the literary contribution of nineteenth-century provincial poets in their own right. |
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