Project Gutenberg
2008-10-07
Public domain in the USA.
152
Duras, Claire de Durfort, duchesse de
1777
1828
Durfort, Claire Louise Rose Bonne de Coëtnempren de Kersaint de, duchesse de Duras
Durfort, Claire Louise Rose Bonne de Coetnempren de Kersaint de, duchesse de Duras
Ourika
Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ourika
Produced by Daniel Fromont
"Ourika" by duchesse de Claire de Durfort Duras is a poignant novella written in the early 19th century. This work delves into the life of a young black woman raised in France after being freed from slavery, exploring themes of identity, isolation, and longing for acceptance. Set against the backdrop of a society grappling with issues of race and class, the novella delves into the struggles of a person caught between two worlds. The story follows Ourika, a girl brought from Senegal to France as a child and raised by the kind-hearted madame de B., who loves her as if she were her own daughter. Throughout her childhood, Ourika is enveloped in affection and luxury but remains acutely aware of her status as a black woman in a predominantly white society. As she matures, she becomes increasingly conscious of the prejudice against her race, feeling the profound isolation that comes with it. This struggle intensifies as she harbors unrequited love for Charles, madame de B.'s grandson, which deepens her sense of longing and despair. Ultimately, the narrative exposes the harsh realities of social exclusion, leading to Ourika's decision to become a nun in search of solace and purpose, highlighting her tragic yet profound connection to the themes of belonging and identity within a prejudiced society. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 77.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
fr
France -- Fiction
Race relations -- Fiction
Women, Black -- Fiction
Africans -- France -- Fiction
PQ
Text
FR Littérature
Category: Novels
Category: French Literature
97777
2025-07-11T06:36:01.801862
text/html
97598
2025-01-11T10:08:10.401776
text/html
103482
2025-07-11T06:36:05.485873
application/epub+zip
102343
2025-07-11T06:36:03.351863
application/epub+zip
102343
2025-07-11T06:36:02.358886
application/epub+zip
187680
2025-07-11T06:36:07.163856
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
179474
2025-07-11T06:36:04.910869
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
157186
2022-09-12T11:29:34.772873
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
87908
2025-07-11T06:36:01.484867
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
86041
2021-01-04T05:40:26
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
19898
2025-07-11T06:36:07.292835
application/rdf+xml
11363
2025-07-11T06:36:02.841856
image/jpeg
2898
2025-07-11T06:36:02.598881
image/jpeg
33431
2021-01-04T05:40:26
application/octet-stream
application/zip
100736
2025-07-11T06:36:01.810859
application/octet-stream
application/zip
Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at
https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog
en.wikipedia
fr.wikipedia